A Different Kind of Mafia Family
by messedupfruitsrotten
Summary: After Maman moved to Italy, Gokudera and Haru looked after Lambo as a couple until they had an argument and Yamamoto took Haru's place as Gokudera's partner... but no one asked Lambo how he felt about all this! TYL, 8059 & more pairings inside DISCONTIUED
1. My Brother, His Lover, and Me

**A/N: Hey, wassup, reader? Well, first off, thanks for choosing to read this fanfic, you should totally check out my other KHR fics too. **

**I also just want to clear up some honorifics. The ending "-nii" means older brother and "-nee" means older sister. Hato is Gokudera's given name without the "ya." Hato is Japanese for dove (the bird) and then Lambo calls Yamamoto Tashi, which is Yamamoto's given name without the "ke." Tashi doesn't mean anything, but if it was said with the "-nii" it would sound like "tashin" which is Japanese for ulterior motive or ill will or secret purpose, so those are the jokes there. In the end the Japanese word "Take" (Yamamoto's given name without the "shi") can mean mountain, peak, mushroom, or another family. **

**Also, more pairings come along later like FuutaxLambo and LamboxI-Pin and probably one more (RebornxLambo), as well as small implications of other pairings like RyoHana and TsunaxKyoko. None of those are a big deal and I'm planning on the story mostly being about Lambo and his relationship with his "brothers," Yamamoto & Gokudera.**

**This takes place TYL.**

* * *

_It was said that the Storm and Lightning had a brotherly relationship..._

"Hato-nii, where's my tie?"

"How am I supposed to know? Yamamoto, have you seen Lambo's tie?"

"What?"

"Lambo's tie! To his school uniform!"

"What about it?"

"Have you seen it, Tashin-nii?"

"Lambo, I told you to stop calling Takeshi that!"

Gokudera swiftly swat Lambo on the back of his head making the boy wince.

"It's not my fault that taking out the 'ke' makes it 'ulterior motive.'" Lambo whined as he rubbed the back of his head.

Yamamoto chuckled then tossed Lambo a blue tie. "It's fine, Hayato. There's your tie, Lambo. It was under some unpacked boxes."

"Thanks." Lambo mumbled as he struggled with putting the article of clothing on. Gokudera smacked the boy's hands away from it, straightening and tightening it to perfection.

"Thanks a lot, Hato-nii!" Lambo joyfully said glancing down at his completed uniform: a white cow-print shirt, the blue tie, yellow suit jacket, leather belt, and brown pants.

"Don't you think that is a school violation?" Gokudera asked, tugging at the collar of the cow-print dress shirt. "It's not regulation."

"But you wore tons of things that weren't 'regulation' when you went to Namimori Middle…" Lambo pouted while he unbuttoned the yellow jacket that Gokudera had just kindly buttoned up.

"Why did you do that?" Gokudera snarled as he fixed the necktie and collar of Yamamoto's slick black suit. Yamamoto gave the shorter man a kiss on the forehead when he was done.

"It's stuffy closed. I like it open." Lambo stated as he unfastened the first few buttons on his cow-print top.

"Whatever, but you better not get in any trouble over your uniform, got it?" Gokudera said while wagging his finger. Lambo obediently nodded. Gokudera pat him on the head and added, "In fact, don't get in any trouble at all!"

Lambo scoffed. "Goodness, what kind of trouble could I get into?"

* * *

Gokudera hummed an upbeat tune, quietly taking inventory in the artillery room. Usually this was the job of a trusted subordinate, but Gokudera was mentally tired from looking after Lambo and wanted an easy, mindless task to complete. He happily placed a check next to proper count of the 5.56x45mm NATOs, which was ammo for their Heckler & Koch G36s which also had been properly counted and checked. Then suddenly his phone roared its ringer until Gokudera answered it with a huff.

"Hello?" He groaned. "…Hibari? What do you want? …Lambo did _what_? Where? …Seriously? Why? …He said that, huh… Oh, he'll get it! …you already punished him? I understand you're the principal, but is that _legal_? …Hello? Hibari? Are you there? Hello?" He then ended his side of the call and flipped his cell phone closed. With a sigh, he marched out of the artillery room, down the hall, passing by Yamamoto.

"Hayato!" The taller man called out, chasing after his silver-haired lover. "Where are you going? Are you done taking inventory?"

"No," Gokudera seethed. "But Lambo got in trouble at school after I told him not to, dammit! I just got a call from Hibari."

Yamamoto put a hand on Gokudera's shoulder to slow him down. Eventually the furious parental figure was calm and looking Yamamoto in the eyes.

"Hey," Yamamoto said gently. "Do you want me to handle it? I feel like you've been the only one looking after the kid. He's my responsibility to now, you know?"

Gokudera blushed lightly, looking away. "He's not _our_ kid, stupid. You're making it sound like he is and it's embarrassing."

Yamamoto laughed a bit before moving his hand from Gokudera's shoulder to his cheek and leaning down to kiss the smaller man's forehead. "He's still _our_ responsibility, so what's the difference, don't ya think?" He grinned. "It's almost like we have a son."

Gokudera's face flared red causing him to push Yamamoto away and spout, "F-Fine! You… You go to the school! Just make sure you call me and tell me what happens, okay?"

Yamamoto snickered at his lover's adorable reaction then agreed to his demands.

"After the Disciplinary Committee leader told the curly-haired kid to change shirts, the two proceeded to argue. The dispute escalated to point where the committee leader felt it was appropriate to ask that the curly-haired kid be sent to my office-" Hibari coolly said while sitting behind a large, intimidating black desk with his feet propped onto its top. Engraved in a nameplate that had a mysterious spotlight shining on it was the title PRINCIPAL HIBARI KYOUYA. Several sets of tonfa hung proudly on one of his office walls. Despite the area being very spacious in reality the dim lights and severe darkness made the vicinity feel smaller. It was a very intense atmosphere.

Yamamoto interrupted, "Listen, Hibari, I don't think that's anything for you to call us about. He was just—"

A tonfa was suddenly lingering threateningly before the former baseball star's face making a slight chill run down his spine.

"Did I say I was done speaking, Yamamoto Takeshi?" Hibari hissed, inching the weapon ever closer to Yamamoto's face.

Yamamoto shook his head and the tonfa retracted from in front of him.

"As I was saying," Hibari growled. "The committee leader wanted the curly-haired kid to come to my office, but the little brat refused, probably afraid of my wrath. When the committee leader grabbed the curly one's arm, the curly one used the Elettrico Cornata on him." Hibari then motioned to a large delinquent who was shivering with fear in the corner of the room. He was burnt to crisp with bruises covering his body and a swollen cheek.

Yamamoto gave Lambo a stern look making the boy sink in his chair and pout. It was clear that the child wished that Gokudera had been there instead.

"Did you punch the guy too?" Yamamoto asked, looking at the marks and swellings that covered the committee leader's skin.

Hibari raised his hand. "Actually, I did that."

Yamamoto's jaw dropped and he found himself at a loss of words though his face was screaming the question, "WHY?"

Hibari leaned back further in his chair and smirked. "Isn't it a shame that this committee leader can't keep control of one student? How does he expect himself to maintain a school? It really is unfortunate. A bit of toughening up may restore this leader to the mimic at least a molecule of the glory of past Disciplinary Committee leaders." He sent a glare to the quivering delinquent, the student let out a sheepish squeak. He then turned back to Yamamoto and asked, "Do you remember my glory, Yamamoto Takeshi? When I ruled this school with an iron fist?"

Yamamoto opened his mouth to say something, but Hibari answered for him.

"Of course you do." The harsh principal said before spinning his chair around so that its back faced the other occupants of the room. "Since it hasn't ended." He allowed there to be a chilling moment of silence. Then, the three were released.

* * *

The first part of the ride home was silent. There was only the soothing whisper of the car's engine and the pleasant crackling of the tire's tread on the road below. Though there were some gasps heard from outside as people gaped at the sight of the sleek BMW Z4 sDrive35is Limited Edition Mille Miglia. In fact, the sounds of shock got so annoying, that Lambo decided to roll up his window.

"Goodness, You just have to drive a fancy Italian car." Lambo droned.

"Silly Lambo, it's German." Yamamoto laughed, patting the steering wheel. "Besides, it's pretty old. The fact that there's only 99 of them doesn't make it fancy."

"Who cares if BMW is German, you got it in Italy." Lambo said leaning his head against the window. "You can't just drive a cheap, normal car."

"Hey, now," Yamamoto said. "This is cheap. It was a small present from the Ninth. I was just driving it to pick you up. I wanted to take the Mercedes today, but Hayato wouldn't let me."

"That's 'cause it's Hato-nii's, not yours." Lambo said haughtily.

"Dove, huh?" Yamamoto said as though he was deep in thought.

"What?"

"If you remove the 'ya' from his name it turns into Hato meaning 'dove.'" Yamamoto told Lambo. Of course, the boy already knew this. That was why he called Gokudera by that name.

"Yep." Lambo said. "And if you take out the 'ke' in Takeshi, you get Tashi, hence your nickname, Tashin-nii."

"Which just so happens to sound like 'ill will' or 'ulterior motive,' huh?"

"You got it."

"For some reason, I get the feeling you haven't taken to me living with you two yet."

Lambo didn't say anything in reply to Yamamoto's suggestion. He merely looked at the window at all the people amazed by the fancy German car.

* * *

"So after Hibari-san punched me a couple of times," Lambo lifted his shirt to show off the dotty purple bruises on his stomach. "He scolded me about something, I was in too much pain to remember it now and then he suspended me for a couple of days. Which is weird since he said he was considering _expelling_ the Disciplinary Committee leader."

Gokudera didn't know whether to yell at the curly-haired boy for using deadly moves at school or to hug him for the trials and tribulations he has to go through when having Hibari as a principal. He put one hand to his forehead and used the other to shoo Lambo away.

"Just go to your room for now." Gokudera said with a silent sigh.

When the child had left, Gokudera sat down in the dining room smacked his head onto the table, feeling hopeless. Then a compassionate warmth spread upon his back. It was someone's hand. The silver-haired man looked up humbly to see Yamamoto's smiling face.

"Don't worry," Yamamoto reassured, kneeling down to look Gokudera in the eyes. "He's a kid, so stuff like this is going to happen."  
"No, it shouldn't, Takeshi! How many fifteen year olds electrocute their superiors?" Gokudera said with his brows furrowed with worry.

Yamamoto laughed and nodded. "That's true! That's true! But Lambo's not such an emotional kid that'd he would get that mad over having to change his uniform." Yamamoto stood and walked to the doorway that led to the entertainment room. "Obviously something else is bothering him. Maybe you should try talking to him about it."

Gokudera watched as the former baseball star disappeared into a different room of the immense house. He exhaled deeply before standing, stretching, and then making his way up to Lambo's room.

* * *

Posters of Scarface, Lamborghinis, and both the Vongola and Bovino crest covered Lambo's walls. Empty wine bottles were piled up in one corner next to boxes filled with pasta and olive oil. Dotting the floor were hand grenades that had accidentally rolled out of their container long ago and Lambo had never bothered to pick them up. Other things that were lying around were the classiest of porn magazines, old homework or tests marked with a spectrum of grades, and money. Truly it was the epitome of what a fifteen year old Mafioso's territory looked like.

Gokudera grimaced after one look at the boy's room. "Lambo!" He shouted while maneuvering through several feet of garbage and weapons.

"What?" Lambo moaned, face down on his King-sized canopy bed that had cow-print curtains and matching comforters.

"First of all," Gokudera began, plopping on to the bed next to the younger male. "You need to clean this place. I swear, you keep the bathrooms at headquarters more tidy."

Lambo lifted his face from his pillow for a second to say, "You guys don't pay me enough to do that."

"We shouldn't pay you at all! We always end up getting you buying you whatever you want, you spoiled brat! Honestly, I don't even know what you do with the money we pay you!" Gokudera roared, grabbing Lambo's cheeks and stretching them out.

"Ow, ow!" Lambo whimpered. "Goodness, stop!" When Gokudera ceased with the pinching and pulling, Lambo rubbed his sore cheeks.

"Secondly," Gokudera said composedly. "I was just wondering if something's wrong."

Lambo paused, hesitating, then said, "What makes you wonder that?"

"This is your first time getting in trouble for injuring a classmate in long time. Besides you seem oddly hostile towards Takeshi..." Gokudera trailed off.

"Don't call him that." Lambo said through his teeth.

Gokudera's eyes widened. The curly-haired boy was shaking with anger.

Lambo went on. "You didn't always call him that. Remember when he was Yamamoto? Remember when you said Haru-nee's name the way you say his?"

Gokudera rolled his eyes and reached out a hand to console Lambo. "Oh, Lambo, is that what this is about?"

"No!" Lambo cried, slapping Gokudera's hand back, shocking the parental figure. "It's about that and him being here and Haru-nee leaving right when we felt like a real family when it felt like Maman had never moved to Italy, but then you and Haru-nee started fighting and she left and it's not fair!" A tear passed over the mark under Lambo's eye. He quickly wiped it away, not wanting Gokudera to see it and alarm him.

The adult inhaled and offered Lambo some choices. "You would rather go to Italy to live with Maman, right? But Hibari wants you to stay here in Namimori for your education. Besides my sister is keeping Maman company perfectly over there and we visit her all the time. If you don't like Takeshi being here then I guess we can ask if he can stay Sasagawa's for a few days."

"Why can't he stay over there forever?" Lambo whined.

"Hey, we already sold his house and spent all that time moving his things in here, there's no way we're kicking him out now. Besides, this place is a little too big for just the two of us." Gokudera said spreading his arms and hands out into the air.

Neither of them said anything for a while after that until Gokudera massaged his temples and muttered, "I knew we should've let you stay with Hana and Lawn Head from the beginning."

"No. If I couldn't have Maman, I at least wanted my brother." Lambo stated honestly, turning to Gokudera and grasping the man's sleeve possessively.

"But if you lived with those two you would've always felt like you had a family. A married mother and father."

"It wouldn't have felt right without you."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do."

"Shut up when an adult is talking."

Lambo couldn't help but to let out a small snicker, Gokudera too. Eventually the two were bursting out in laughter.

"All this seriousness is killing me," Lambo laughed. "Let's just force Tashin-nii out and get it over with, alright?"

"Hell no!" Gokudera clapped his hands down onto each side of Lambo's face making the boy cry out in pain.

Lambo stuck his tongue out at his 'brother' then grunted crossly. He bit his lips and quietly asked, "You must really like Tashin-nii, huh?"

Gokudera's whole face flushed a bright red as he stumbled upon his own words.

Lambo giggled at the reaction and looked to his beautiful canopy. "You're lucky you've found someone you won't argue with. You're happy, right?"

With an embarrassed frown on his face, Gokudera merely nodded twice while looking away.

"If you're this flustered, Hato-nii, then you must really be in love. You didn't act like this with Haru-nee. You would just say things like, 'Obviously I like Haru' and 'Haru's my girlfriend' so easily that it didn't sound true. Haru-nee must have caught on to this too. I guess, it's only fate that our family fell apart. I wish I could've believed in it for just a little longer, though…"

The room fell still once more.

"I'm sorry." Gokudera said, breaking the silence again.

"Thanks for saying that, Hato-nii, but it's not your fault." Lambo affirmed. "I get it now that it's not anyone's fault really. I'm just being a spoiled brat."

Gokudera smiled and ruffled Lambo's hair. "Which is what you seem to be best at."

* * *

"Hey, Take-nii," Lambo called out to Yamamoto while scampering around the entertainment room. "Have you seen the remote? I'm not going to spend two days of suspension without TV."

Before Yamamoto could reply, Gokudera barked, "No! You are going to study during those two days! You expect us to reward you for your bad behavior? There's no way you are going to seize this as an opportunity… to… play… wait, what did you just call Takeshi?"

"Take-nii." Lambo said simply.

"Take?" Gokudera and Yamamoto repeated simultaneously.

"As in 'mushroom?'" Gokudera pondered.

"Or 'mountain?'" Yamamoto questioned.

Lambo beamed and shook his head.

"Meaning 'another family!'"

The two adults blinked at the boy.

Lambo hugged the pair and exclaimed, "Because Take-nii didn't destroy my family, he just started another one! A new one!"

* * *

**I was thinking of doing a prequel to this next chapter or as a seperate story. Review and tell me what you think. **


	2. Lambo's epic prequel

**A/N: This prequel is told from Lambo's point of view. To clear up more honorific stuff, touchan = dad, daddy, father, etc. Then Boss = Tsuna and Papa = Tsuna's dad.**

**WARNING: Implied FuutaxLamboxI-Pin**

_

* * *

_

_First, my parents and the Bovino left me… but I got then Maman…_

"Lambo-chan, what would like for dinner?" I remember Maman asking this so many times and her telling Boss to stop Reborn or I-Pin from fighting with me. And yes, they were fights, not beatings!

For six years, I stayed by Maman's side even when Boss or Papa (Iemitsu-touchan) weren't there.

…_But then Maman left me…_

"And promise to visit me in Italy plenty, okay, Lambo-chan?" Maman pleasantly asked as she smiled sweetly at me.

Eleven year-old me could only blubber out a sloppy, "Yes, Maman!"

I wanted to go with her and Papa, but I-Pin and I had to stay behind and finish our education here. As soon as I'm done with school I promise to be reunited with Maman!

…_and then I got Hato-nii and Haru-nee_…

"You'll live with Haru and me from now on, Lambo." Hato-nii said, picking up some of my many bags. "Geez, how much stuff do you need?"

"It'll be fun. By the way," Haru-nee said with gentle smile. My heart raced when she asked, "What would you like for dinner tonight?"

* * *

"I'm telling you, it'd be a blast, Hayato-chan." Haru-nee said as we all ate happily at the small dining room table in our large house. Over the years, more furniture would come in and additional rooms would be attached on.

"_**You**_ can do it, but I don't think being in the mafia and being a kindergarten teacher would work out for me." Hato-nii said with a scowl.

"I don't think you should do it, Stupidera." I said, pushing around the food on my plate. "You'd just scare everyone." My comment made Haru-nee giggle, but Hato-nii glowered at me

"See? Dealing with one brat is already enough!" Hato-nii remarked jokingly. We all laughed.

* * *

It was nights when lightning cracked the sky in half that made me sleep most peacefully, but some evenings when all was still and clouds covered the stars, I would have nightmares.

"Haru-nee, Stupidera, I'm scared. I had a bad dream." I said, knocking softly on their door, trying to conceal that I had been sniveling earlier.

Haru-nee let me in and I crawled in the velvety red canopy bed they shared, which made me want one too, in cow-print of course.

"Hey, hey," Hato-nii groaned. "What's he doing here?"

"He had a bad dream, Hayato-chan." Haru-nee told him, snuggling me tightly. "But it's okay now, Lambo-chan."

I nuzzled closer to her and asked, "Ew, why do you sleep in the same bed as Stupidera?"

The couple blushed and Hato-nii angrily answered, "Shut up, idiot cow! You know it's because Haru's my girlfriend!"

Something felt empty like a missing puzzle piece or hollow words. I didn't know what the emptiness was so I asked another question.

"Are you guys in love?"

They only looked at each other and then slept.

…_And then…_

"Hayato-chan, I'm not sure how much more of this I can take!" Haru shouted at her boyfriend who attempted to retreat from the hallway to their room. "Hayato, did you hear me?"

"I heard you! Just… just leave me alone for a bit, will you?" He hollered, slamming the door closed so that she stood out in the hallway, stunned.

"Hayato!" She screeched, shaking the door handle. "Get out here and talk to me! We need to talk about this!"

Nothing. "Please…" she murmured, leaning against the door and sliding her back down it until she was sitting on the soft, red carpet below.

I don't know how long I had watched the argument go on before she spotted me.

"Lambo-chan…" Haru muttered. She stretched out her arms indicating for me to hug her. "It's all okay, Lambo-chan. Come here, please."

Her voice was so desperate that I could tell that she needed more comfort than I did. Slowly, I approached the woman and allowed her to embrace me.

"Everything's okay, right, Lambo-chan? Right?" She asked as she buried her face in my shoulder. I could feel her tears seeping through my shirt and onto my skin.

I was thirteen at that time. Around that stage, a disagreement like that was one of their worse fights, but I didn't know the quarrels would heighten and become more frequent.

* * *

"I saw you, Hayato!" Haru roared, trying to control her crying. "I saw what you two were doing!"

"What were we doing?" Hato-nii screamed. "We were just talking at the bar!"

"Stop lying!" Haru said. She shook her head. "I can't believe you anymore!"

"When have I ever lied, Haru?" Hato-nii's tone sounded accusing.

"When I caught you before and you tried to tell me otherwise, but I-!"

"Nothing was happening and you know it! Now, listen, I have work to do—"

"You always do that, Hayato! You try to pin this all on me and then say you have work. I will call Tsuna right now and tell him your work can wait because I want to settle this now!"

"Stupid woman! Your exaggerated emotions will never come before the family!"

"You don't think I haven't realized that, Hayato?" Feeling defeated, Haru fell to her knees and covered her weeping face. "I know how I feel doesn't mean anything to you."

Hato-nii's not heartless. There was no way he could just leave her there. Of course, he would always hug her and say sorry, then after her sobs stopped, he would go and get to his job. He wouldn't be there to see how much more horribly she cried after he was gone. Tears would pour out too fast for her to keep wiping them away and body would curl into a pathetic ball, yearning for relief.

I watched or listened from the stairs when their arguments took place in the dining room, kitchen, or entertainment room. I could hear them from the hallway when it was upstairs. The eavesdropping was held the rooms downstairs when they battled it out in the guest rooms, wine cellar, or other such places.

Goodness, it constantly amazed me that no matter where in the house (maybe we should call it a mansion) you were, you could hear their harsh words and hurtful threats of abandonment.

* * *

"Hayato-chan, I need you to pick Lambo-chan up from school today, got it?" Haru said with a giggle and wink.

Hato-nii smiled back and her and nodded. I remember trying to figure out what those little gestures could have possibly meant.

Thinking about it bugged me the whole day. The wheels in my head turned, pondering what their secret could have been. It distracted me from my studies, from the teacher's words, from my friends' jokes.

"Lambo!" Hato-nii called from the driver's seat of a new Porsche he had gotten earlier in the year. Without a moment's hesitation, I dashed over, excited to know why I was being picked up from school in a shiny new car instead of being forced to walk home. Walking would've been fifteen minutes, but driving felt like a few seconds!

When I stepped into the genkan (which Hato-nii had specially added onto the house before I moved in), I removed my shoes and looked around the mansion to see nothing but black.

"Why are the lights out, Hato-nii?" I asked. He just let out a strained chuckle in response. I reached for the light switch and when I flicked it on…

"HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY, LAMBO!" Boss, Kyoko-chan, Sasagawa Ryo-chan and Hana-san, Bianchi, I-Pin-chan, Dino-nii, Papa, Fuuta-kun, Yamamoto-san, _**everyone**_ was there! But the most important one was… Maman! She was standing there beaming like there was no tomorrow and her arms open wide!

I felt five again when I rushed into her hold as though I would've died if I didn't. I needed to be reminded of a real mother's warmth, her love for me, and to hide the fact that I was bawling like a baby, truly living up to my nickname.

After I pulled from Maman I was able to see that even some acrobaleno, members of Varia, Mochida, and Kusakabe were there. Kusakabe must have been participating in Hibari-san's place. I would imagine that when Hibari was invited, he must've scoffed and said something like, "Why would I want to go to some kid's birthday party?"

It didn't matter much since all of this was beyond great! It was spectacular! I blushed from the excitement making everyone laugh a little. They made jokes about it, saying that I was sticking to my Italian roots by looking like a tomato. The teasing only made me redden more.

In the middle of our playful banter, Haru-nee entered the spacious dining room with a tall, fantastically decorated cake. It was draped in cow-print fondant. On the top tier was the word, "HAPPY." On the second was "BIRTDAY." On the third, "LAMBO."

We all giggled at the cake decorator's spelling mistake though Hato-nii was very angry about it, saying that he wanted to send it back to where we bought it and demand that they redo it. I can't remember how many times I had to calm him down and say that it was fine. Goodness!

I do recall though that several of my presents were either dangerous or Italian or both.

During the celebration, wine was taken from the cellar and pasta was eaten. Sometime within the confusion, Yamamoto-san and Hato-nii slipped away together, this made Haru-nee wear a look of worry.

Also, Fuuta-nii ended up teaching me some interesting magic tricks and I-Pin-chan whispered to me that she wanted to give me a special present some other time. This oddly made my face flare up.

So many times that day I let tears of joy slip out. It was so encouraging to see everybody join together and smile for my sake. It was sad to see everyone go. Especially Maman. She said that she would be staying in the area for a few days though, so I visited her again later. It was one of the most glorious days of my life.

I was particularly impressed with the way Hato-nii and Haru-nee made it seem as though they were happy together.

This solid stream of pretending ended the very next day.

"What were you talking about then?" Haru-nee slurred. It was early morning. She had coffee and was whining on in the kitchen.

"Can't we discuss this later?" Hato-nii asked as he looked in mirror to check the neatness of his suit.

Haru lazily looked at her watch. "You don't have to leave for another thirty minutes." She covered her mouth to yawn. "You have time to talk."

"I like to get there early because I'm the right-hand man." Hato-nii said matter-of-factly.

Haru-nee said the last part with him, because it was something Hato-nii seemed to consistently bring up.

"Well, let's just have a conversation before you leave just once today, please?" Haru begged.

Hato-nii scowled and spun on his heel to look at her sleepy form. "First of all, you're just going to turn the 'conversation' into a fight about last night. Second of all, you're only half awake. Let's have a sensible, adult chat when I get back later on."

"And if you don't get back until two in the morning like you did Thursday?" Haru said mockingly.

"See, you're already getting started. And I told you what happened that made me late." Hato-nii poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip, careful not spill any on himself.

"Don't give me bull, Hayato. What were you and Takeshi-chan talking about last night anyway?" Haru-nee said, getting back to her original point.

"Different, urgent matters that you wouldn't understand." Hato-nii muttered before taking a nervous gulp of coffee and then coughing as the heat stung at his throat.

"Try me, Hayato." Haru-nee pressured, taking a smooth sip from her mug.

There was a long string of silence.

"I'm leaving." Hato-nii announced. "Bye, Haru. I'm leaving, Lambo! Bye!"

"Bye, Hato-nii…!" I yelled weakly from the bathroom upstairs. I stared at my miserable expression in the mirror then used the back of my arm to dry my wet face.

* * *

"That's it! I've had enough!"

"Fine, I never needed you anyway!"

"What did you say?"

"I! Never! Needed! You!"

"You bastard! We'll see how well you'll do with me gone!"

"I guess we will! But you'd have to _**leave**_ first!"

"Shut up already, I **am** leaving! I am packing my stuff and getting out of here!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

* * *

…_Haru-nee left me…_

I will never forget those words. "I've had enough, never needed you, leave, I am leaving, leaving…"

Without any further exchanges between her and Hato-nii, she was gone. She had gone to stay with Kyoko-chan until she could find permanent housing elsewhere.

* * *

The day after it happened, I called Fuuta-kun while in a muddle. I know I must have blabbered all my problems out to him despite him probably having important college exams to study for, but he listened all the way through and even tried to give me some consolation. When I regained control of my emotions he told me some funny rankings to cheer me up like top ten songs Hato-nii liked to sing in the shower and the top five things Boss likes to do when he's bored and no one's looking. We talked a while after that. When I first called him it was about noon or maybe one o' clock, but when we hung up, the stars were spread out in the sky.

I had said his full name then. I told him, "Good-bye, Fuuta Della Stella."

He totally ruined the mood when he snickered and replied, "Goodbye, Crybaby Lambo."

* * *

No longer was breakfast usually sitting on the dining room table waiting for me to gobble up, no longer did my clothes get ironed before I woke up, and no longer was my lunch packed and ready, waiting on the counter for me to pick up as I left out the door. I had to do all this crap myself now. For a bit of time, I tried to convince Hato-nii to hire a butler or preferably a cute maid, but he refused, saying that I should learn to do some simple household things on my own rather than depending on others. I was too afraid to tell him that I _liked_ depending on others.

* * *

Yamamoto-san started coming over more often. He would sit around and converse with Hato-nii for a long time. They would joke about anything, talk about something, and everything in between.

Sometimes Yamamoto-san would stay over all day and all night. When brother and I would wake up in the morning, breakfast would be waiting for us. It almost reminded me of when Haru-nee was with us except one vital detail: Yamamoto-san makes a Japanese breakfast. Haru-nee knew that I preferred a French or Italian one.

For years I had gotten used to sluggishly rolling out of bed and down the stairs to a cappuccino or milk and a cornetto on a small plate and some fresh fruit on another. That was the way Maman had started preparing things for me when I was six and I had been accustomed to that ever since. Maman passed the secrets of the perfect Lambo breakfast onto Haru and so even she knew what I liked.

But then Yamamoto-san started leaving behind grilled fish, rice, miso soup, and omelets with ketchup. Hato-nii didn't mind it, but. I. hated. it.

If we had a dog I would have fed that crap to it. Who wants grilled fish in the morning? I want bread and jam and fruit, not soup and (goodness!) natto. Oh, yuck!

With Hato-nii watching, I felt obligated to eat it, though I genuinely astounded myself for not puking all of it up later. Seriously, I could go on and on about how much Europeans surpass Easterners when it comes to breakfast-making, but I digress.

* * *

Then there was I-Pin-chan. And that day. And the kiss.

I don't even know how to go into this. She met me at the house, we went onto the balcony, and she whispered, "Here's your present…"

And it happened. Our lips connected and my skin was on fire. My thoughts were running at one hundred thousand miles per hour and they were pretty typical, "Goodness! This is my first kiss! Awesome. Cool. Wait, shit, what if Hato-nii sees? Oh, that'd be embarrassing. Wait again, do I like I-Pin? Ah, geez, that'd be weird, huh? We've known each other for like ever. Crap, what if this ruins our friendship? No, nothing could ruin it. It's just weird 'cause it's I-Pin and I've known her as long as I've known Bianchi, Haru-nee, and, well, I've known Fuuta just as long too. What does he have to do with anything, he's not a girl! I still can't believe it… this is so unlike her. She must have gathered up a lot of nerve to do this. Or someone encouraged her to do it. Who? Bianchi? Nah. Kyoko? Possibly. Reborn? That bastard _would_ do a crazy thing like that."

I'm sure I scared her a little when she pulled away and, engulfed in my deliberations, I shouted, "DAMN YOU, REBORN!"

The moment afterwards was more tremendously awkward than I can possibly even fathom to describe in words. To say that we were both glowing bright red would be an insanely gross understatement. If Hato-nii had walked in on that moment, I swear I-Pin-chan and I would have died.

The next day, I remembered to tell her thank you for the gift.

* * *

Soon four months passed by with Haru-nee gone. Hato-nii started smoking more heavily and he was out of the house a great deal more too. These things were probably constricted by Haru-nee before. She would say things like, "Stop smoking so much!" and "You need to pay more attention to Lambo!"

I was 14, I didn't need watching. I do admit that in such a gigantic house, it does make everything feel a bit lonelier when you were the only in there. I spent tons of time in the wine cellar. It had a lock, but I used grenades to get the door open.

During the weekends, I would drink wine, watch TV, surf the web, talk to girls, have friends come over, play one-man pool, go swimming in the actual pool, flirt with girls, read a book (I'm kidding), clean the toilets, kick Hato-nii's stuff, break Hato-nii's stuff, write lists about why I hated Hato-nii, wish Hato-nii would come back already, and be incredibly bored. It was fun.

One day when Hato-nii came home to see that I had shot some stuff in his room with my Beretta Px4 Storm (One of my manlier semi-automatic pistols), he came to the intelligent decision to give me a bit more attention.

Since that time, Hato-nii and I have been better friends than you could imagine. I-Pin-chan and I's relationship has become… complicated. Haru-nee comes to see me every now and then, so I don't miss her too much. I've only seen Maman once more, but I want to go to Italy again soon. Fuuta and I have been talking a lot, he's really comforting and nice. Yamamoto-san still is in the house almost every day and makes disgusting Japanese breakfasts. Oh, and I still haven't defeated Reborn.

* * *

**That's the prequel. Hope you liked it and hope it cleared up some stuff. Basically, Lambo lived with Maman until he was eleven (so for six years), then he started living with Gokudera and Haru who had been together before he had gotten there. After about 2 years of him staying there, Haru left. Later, Yamamoto moves in which pisses Lambo off. **

**I was thinking about doing a prequel from Gokudera's POV and then doing the next segment in Gokudera, Lambo, and Yamamoto's life together. Tell me if you like that idea and I was thinking of doing more with the FuutaxLamboxI-Pin thing. **


	3. Gokudera's awesome preprequel

**A/N: This is a pre-prequel told from Gokudera's point of view that mostly focuses on his transition from his relationship with Haru to his relationship with Yamamoto.**

* * *

It all started when were nineteen and still weren't _quite_ used to running the Vongola Famiglia.

"Hayato-san," Boss called out to me, running down the hallway of the relatively small headquarters. The urgency made me go into alert mode. He leaned over with his hands on his knees, panting.

"What is it, tenth?" I asked, gritting my teeth, ready to be told to take action, to fight!

He then stood straight up and looked me dead in the eyes. This was important.

"Hayato-san," He said. "I promised Haru that I would go shopping with her today in order to celebrate her birthday which is in on Saturday this week. I can't go because the Acrobaleno want me in Italy as soon as possible. I asked if I could just do this for Haru, then leave, but they said no. It sounds like this must be a very pressing matter."

"Do you want me to go with you to Italia, tenth?" I asked eagerly, repeating 'Please say yes!' over and over in my head.

"No." He stated, deflating my hopes. "I was just wondering if you could take my place and shop with Haru today, please, Hayato-san!" He bowed his head politely.

I covered my face with my hands, humiliated for the boss. Subordinates were staring at us. "Stop it, tenth. You can drop the '-san' and you need to stop asking me for favors. These are _orders_ now."

Boss quickly straightened up then gulped nervously. "Uh…" He stuttered. "Go shopping with Haru… Hayato."

"I'm on it, tenth!" I exclaimed proudly. It sounded like a torturous task and I hated the idea, but I was just glad that the boss was trying to get used to being, well, boss.

* * *

So, off to Shibuya it was. Haru complained the whole way there about how she wanted Boss to come and not me. It was so annoying I almost wanted to crash my Pagani Zonda C12 F into a building and just end it all, but I withstood it until we got to Omotesando.

"All right." I said, getting out the car and locking all the doors with a beep. "Here we are. Freakin' Shibuya. There's Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada—"

"Haru wants to go to Kiddyland!" The yappy woman shouted.

"The toy store?" I retorted, utterly shocked. Here I am, a rich mafia member, right-hand man to the strongest Famiglia with a silly girl dragging me by my arm to a toy store. I wanted to chew at my shoulder blade until I was free and dart off in the other direction, leaving my arm to fend for itself. For some reason, I decided not to do this.

"Look at all the pretty Hello Kitty dolls!" Haru squealed as soon as we stepped in. "They're all dressed up in the most adorable costumes!" She dashed over to the cell phone trinkets, yelling at every memorable character she saw. "Haru so wants this Doraemon cell phone strap! Too lovely! He's dressed as a little daikon! Way charming!"

I could only produce the fiercest, manliest look possible when standing next to her. How else was I going to make up for my diminishing masculinity when seen in a place like that? There were more cute things in there than deadly things in our artillery room (obviously, over the years we would grow and the room would become even deadlier)!

We eventually walked out of the store with many bags of things soft and pink. Being the man, I was told to carry them, which made my cheeks tint the color of things inside the bags.

We stopped by a café for a quick break before going into more appropriate, adult stores.

"Do you even know how much useless stuff is in here, Haru?" I asked before taking a small sip of my cappuccino.

She poked at her cake with her fork while staring at me intensely.

"What?" I barked, annoyed by her eyes being fixed on mine. It was uncomfortable.

"Thank you." She said meekly.

I was stunned. It was so out of character for her. Within that moment, I couldn't help but to think she was really cute. "N-No problem." I spluttered, trying to recover from her sudden attack of attractiveness.

"Haru knows Tsuna made you come in his place and she totally wishes that he would've been here with her instead, but you're not as bad as Haru expected you to be, Hayato-kun." She took a dainty bite of her sweet. "Though, you did scare a lot of children back in Kiddyland."

I smirked. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

"Don't be so proud!"

"But it's not like Mafioso and kids mix or something!"

"True… Do you think if Haru married Tsuna, he'd want children?"

"Gah! Don't ask weird questions!

"How's that weird?"

"H-how should I know the answer?" I said quickly before crossing my arms and turning away as though in some sort of tantrum.

"You are Tsuna's right hand man, aren't you?" She asked slyly. Damn, she could be clever when she wanted.

"Yeah, but—"

"Then what does Hayato-kun think?"

"I mean, I guess… I guess, he would…"

"Interesting. What if Haru married Takeshi-chan?" She questioned nonchalantly.

I raised an eyebrow. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"Answer the question!" She commanded in a huff, taking another bite of her cake.

"Probably! Yamamoto would probably want kids." I replied on edge.

"And you?"

"Huh?"

"If I married you, Hayato-kun, would you want to have kids with me?" She smiled innocently enough for my heart to race and her eyes shined enough to make me want to say yes.

"Hell no! Are you crazy, stupid girl? I hate kids and I would never marry you! What a dumb thing to ask!" I shouted, crossing my legs and taking a swallow from my cappuccino, trying to distract myself from the nervousness. What a mortifying interrogation!

* * *

It was the weekend. My apartment was filled with weaponry and empty wine bottles. A few filthy magazines scattered the floor, I thought about throwing them away in case of a visitor, but it felt like no visitors would come. It was a lazy weekend when everyone was busy excluding me. And Haru.

The first knock and my eyes shot open. I had been laying asleep on the couch, previously watching a drama on TV. My first reaction was to turn the channel to sports before letting a single soul in. Then I had to get rid of each magazine, I did this by the third knock. When the fourth rolled around, I felt ready to open the door.

I grinned as I swung it open, hoping it was Boss or maybe even Takeshi or Lawn Head, but it was just Haru.

"Hey…" I moaned as she walked in uninvited. "What are you doing here?"

"Haru was bored, so I came to see you." She said, taking a seat on the couch. "Sports, huh? Lame! Let's watch Anpanman!"

"It's not your decision! That my television! Stop it! Hey!"

"Quit whining! We'll check NHK and maybe we'll catch Domo-kun!"

"Wouldn't you be lucky to just so happen to turn it to that station when a Domo short is on? There's no way that—"

"There he is! He's so charming!"

I grabbed the remote from her and turned it off. "Just stop that, alright?"

"Aw," She cooed. "Are you jealous, Hayato-kun?"

I couldn't find the right phrase to reply to her. All the comebacks in my head didn't sound either cool or fully true.

"If it makes you feel any better," She stood, walked to me, and kissed me on the cheek. I could've fainted. Thankfully, I didn't. "Haru thinks you're charming, too, Hayato-kun."

That's the moment when it registered in my mind that most likely, Haru and I were going to get together. Something within that second made that definitive. There was no avoiding it. Our relationship had become imminent.

* * *

A year passed by pleasantly. It was comforting knowing that there was someone who I knew I could call when I felt lonely or sad. It was a warm feeling to wake up to a familiar face whenever I slept over at her place or when she spent the night at mine. It was a secure feeling. I smiled every time I was reminded that there was a person who I knew loved me, who I believed loved me, who believed she loved me.

Around this period, we were talking about living into together. Would I move into her apartment or did she want to move into mine? Should we buy a whole new place? Did we _really_ want to do this?

There was only one person I thought I could go to.

"Tenth!" I griped, beer can in one hand. Me, Takeshi, and Boss rarely drank unrefined beverages like beer, but it had been one of our twentieth birthdays recently (I was too incessantly drunk to remember whose) and so we tried everything alcoholic that we could get our hands on. "What should I do?"

Boss didn't exactly like drinking at all and couldn't really hold his liquor anyway, so he was no where nearly as wasted as Takeshi and I.

"I think it sounds like a wonderful idea for you and Haru to buy a place together. You two seem really happy. It's a great step to take." He said soberly.

"Don't do it." Takeshi said warningly, drunkenly wagging a finger. It was actually really frightening. His voice dropped two tones and his eyes read bloody murder. "Think of how much freedom you'll lose."

"But I might as well, right?" I slurred. Takeshi was starting to look like blur, though my eyes were wide open and staring right at him. "Haru's… Haru is… Haru… she is… something. I forget."

I remember Boss laughed at me for that. Taking his advice, I ultimately came to the conclusion that Haru and I would buy our own home. That night, after a nap and a bit more reflection, I called Haru up while still buzzed and told her my choice. Boy, did she become giddy when she heard that. When we made the announcement to the rest of the Vongola, they got really excited. My sister wanted to help us decorate, but I didn't want skulls and pictures of Reborn _everywhere_. Some told me that we should start considering marriage too, but just hearing the term made me feel uneasy.

* * *

So a year and a half into our relationship, we had a house. We bought one that was a bit above average when it came to size. It also had a balcony and pool and patio. It was a very nice home, but I wanted a genkan. Since it was a western-style place, there wasn't one. I had one added on not too much longer after the purchase, but that's me getting ahead of myself.

Before adding the genkan on, we brought a few things over from our old apartments, then threw away, handed down, or sold the rest. Most of the furnishings for the house, we bought new.

Some of Haru's preferences for furniture were a bit immature or silly (like , so I asked Takeshi to help me choose stuff out. Originally I wanted the Boss to help me, but he declined on account that he had too much to do.

"I want something modern, I think." I said, sitting Indian style on a pink egg chair from Haru's. Once we bought the new stuff, that chair was going to go. "But it has to be elegant too." My hair was pulled back into a ponytail and my glasses rested on the bridge of my nose. Takeshi was leaning over me, both of us staring at the laptop screen as I clicked on different links and pictures of tables and advertisements and whatnot.

"Are you looking in a certain price range?" Takeshi asked, pointing to an expensive coffee table. It's frame was dark and stylish. I liked it.

I chuckled. "Hell no." Immediately, I ordered the table. "Oh!" I exclaimed suddenly. "I want a pool table too."

"I know a good store to buy stuff like that from. We can go together later." Takeshi said keenly.

"Awesome! Let's search for some dressers now, oh, wait! Haru picked out some beds, she wanted me to choose one."

"Show me." A few clicks later: "Those are all unusually hideous."

"I know, but Haru wants one of those and I _am_ picking everything else…"

"Yeah, but the bed is one of the most important parts."

"It is?"

"It is."

I spent a minute brooding over this. Then I looked up to Takeshi almost helplessly. "Then what should I do? I don't want Haru to be mad, but I don't want an ugly bed either..."

"Get something you know you both will like. I'm thinking… a canopy bed."

"A canopy? Isn't that a bit strange?"

"For newlyweds? I think it'd be pretty romantic." He leaned in a bit more so that his breath on the word 'romantic,' tickled my ear.

My whole body rapidly became hot. It felt like I was burning. This sudden sensation made me falter and I nearly dropped the laptop. When I recovered, I screamed, "What the hell? Haru and I aren't newlyweds and what was that?"

"What was what?" He asked naively as though he hadn't done anything. I brushed the event off as me being paranoid over nothing.

"Forget it." I mumbled tautly.

* * *

I pushed my hair out of my face as we cruised the countryside in Takeshi's Porsche Carrera GT.

"It's kind of a weird thing to ask." I said, thinking back to why I was in this situation.

"What do you mean?" Takeshi replied. It was then that I realized he had one hand on the wheel and the other was on the back of my seat. The position felt too intimate for me to be relaxed.

"If someone says, 'Thank you for showing me where to get this pool table. How can I repay you?' most people wouldn't say back, 'Your welcome. Come for a joyride in my Porsche.' It's weird." I uttered mockingly.

Takeshi merely let out a bellow of laughter and increased his pressure on the accelerator. The wind certainly was refreshing.

"You know, Hayato," He said and, God, did I hate the way he said it. His deep voice pronounced my name as though it was the sweetest sound he could articulate. "If you think about it, most people don't have a Porsche like this."

The sun fell on Takeshi's face just right. He was half in the light and half in the dark with a determined expression looking straight ahead. I couldn't imagine how he could manage to ever look any cooler than how he looked then.

From that point on, I was caught of the middle of something and I wish I had someone to blame. Someone other than me, Haru, or Takeshi. But those were the only ones at fault. Especially me.

* * *

"You'll live with Haru and me from now on, Lambo." I said, picking up some of Lambo's many bags. "Geez, how much stuff do you need?"

"This'll be fun. By the way," Haru said, beaming like crazy. Lambo blushed when she asked, "What would you like for dinner tonight, Lambo-chan?"

"Tagliatelle alla bolognese!" The little tyke cried out, assuming Haru knew what he meant. Idiot!

I whacked him upside the head. "Retard! Haru doesn't know how to make that! Just ask for a Japanese dish instead!"

Lambo shivered while rubbing his injured head. "Meanie! I want a meal from Italia!"

"Stop being stupid! We're in Japan so you'll have Japanese food, got it?"

"Maman made me whatever I wanted no matter the nationality! You're being racist, Stupidera!"

"What? Idiot cow! Where did you even learn that word?"

* * *

After that, Lambo became my focus. Takeshi and Haru faded into the background. Every morning, I made sure he was dressed and ready for the day. I lectured him when he picked on other students at school and assured that nobody picked on him.

* * *

One night when everything was calm, I looked to Haru who was two feet away while we both lay in our canopy bed. I wanted to say something to her, maybe to ask her to come closer or for her to speak to me. Anything. We just felt too far away for our relationship to have meant to go on. She either came closer or I knew this was winding to its end.

"Haru…" I whispered.

"Yes?" She said back quietly.

"Do you love me?"

"Say that again." She yawned. "I'm tired… so it's hard to… pay attention."

"Do you—"

A soft rap at our door disrupting my sentence. I heard Lambo's muffled voice coming from outside, in the hallway.

Without a word, Haru slid out of bed, opened the door, and came back into bed with Lambo in her arms. His body felt as though he closed the distance between Haru and me.

"Hey, hey," I groaned. "What's he doing here?"

"He had a bad dream, Hayato-chan." Haru told me, snuggling Lambo tightly. "But it's okay now, Lambo-chan."

He nuzzled closer to her and rudely asked, "Ew, why do you sleep in the same bed as Stupidera?"

Her and I blushed. With only that slight pause, I angrily answered, "Shut up, idiot cow! You know it's because Haru's my girlfriend!"

I could tell my words sounded hollow. I wanted there to be silence now, but Lambo went on,

"Are you guys in love?"

My eyes fell on Haru whose look was desperate and reaching and I wasn't sure if I wanted to grab her. Scared to tell a lie, I feigned slumber. I didn't actually sleep that night.

* * *

Not too long after that, Haru and I had a quarrel about whether or not I still felt the same way I did a year or two ago. She kept telling me that love can die. I didn't want to believe her. I was such a pussy, I couldn't even talk to her about it. I was tired of hearing her truths. I didn't want to acknowledge what I already knew. The next morning, Takeshi came over to watch a movie I rented with me. I guess we got too close or something because Haru got mad about it later. She walked in and just started yelling. Takeshi left and after a few interactions, Haru and I made up in the bedroom. Though… I couldn't get over that she saw Takeshi as threat. I thought it was wild.

One day, I felt spiritless while I had the day off and Haru was spending a day with some of her friends and Lambo was at school. There was such an insane amount of nothing to do that I could have cried. I thought of calling Boss, but he was probably preoccupied. I then was considering begging Boss to give me work to do.

It was sometime near then when Takeshi rung the doorbell.

"Hey," He said joyfully, when I opened the door. Due to lack of thought, I leapt up and wrapped my arms around Takeshi's neck in a fierce hug.

"Oh thank _god_!" I hollered. "I was so bored!"

I am now aware of how happy and sad Takeshi must have been at that moment. Happy that I was holding him, but sad to know that it would end and when I would let go, I would belong to Haru again.

"How do you get bored in this huge place?" He laughed, walking to the bar counter in the kitchen after I released him. We sat at the stools after I fetched us some drinks.

"It's Brunello." I informed him as he stared at the red wine in his glass. "From Montalcino. They say it goes best with a Tuscany dish, I couldn't agree more." I took a delicate sip and watched him move the glass in circles so that the liquid inside swashed around. "Is something up?" I asked, freaked out by his behavior.

"Are you in love with Haru?" He threw the inquiry at me so suddenly that my counter sounded doubtful.

"W-What kind of question is that?"

"Just say it. Are you or aren't you?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Then there was me. And Takeshi. And that day. And that kiss.

It felt like it took an eternity for his lips to tear from mine, and when they did, I instantly wanted them back.

"Hayato, I can undeniably say that I am in love with you." He said my name that way again, that incontestably sexy way that I could only swoon over. I hated it.

"But…" I stammered. "B-But Haru…"

Takeshi scoffed and kissed me again. So many emotions ran through me, my head ached, my stomach turned, but my heart fluttered like it had been freed. It was clear that he was trying to make us both forget that Haru even existed and it worked…

Until we noticed her standing in the doorway, mouth open, and tears streaming down her cheeks.

That's when I knew everything was going to hell.

Since that time, Lambo and I have become closer, good friends. Like real brothers, I'd say. Haru left. We talk now and then, trying to restore our friendship as hard as that is. Boss is trying his best, too, to help our family and to patch stuff up between me and Haru. Takeshi has been expressing an interest in moving in, but I'm not sure if Lambo would be okay with that, though I do certainly enjoy the idea. Oh, and my love for Takeshi has never been stronger.

* * *

**Next up is a pre-sequel told from Yamamoto's point of view. **


	4. Yamamoto's cool presequel

**A/N: I'm going to apologize in advance for Yamamoto's OOCness. He seems kind of... well, kind of... kind of like a douchebag. It's mostly about him wooing Gokudera. I originally wrote this because I had an idea for a scene where he interacts with Haru and she says how she feels about all this, but I've decided to have that happen later ;)**

**And this is a "pre-sequel" because it goes from before and after the first chapter.**

* * *

I was tired of it. Absolutely fed up. They looked like two children playing house, pretending. Something in me had snapped. If she wasn't going to grow up, then at least he had to.

"Are you in love with Haru?" I asked, already knowing the answer to that question.

I had put up with this long enough. I let them date each other, I let them move in together, and I even let them take care of a kid. There was only one more step they could take and I wasn't going to let that happen.

"What kind of question is that?" He asked with a shaky voice.

Wow, this was getting annoying. "Just say it. Are you or aren't you?" I tried my best to keep my frustration concealed.

"Why should I tell you?" He retorted.

That was it. That was the last straw. Playtime was over. And I could only think of one way to wake him up.

It was a gentle, deep kiss and with it, I could feel his naivety falling away. When I pulled back I could see in his eyes that he wanted more.

There was only him. And me. And that day. And that kiss. That last straw.

"Hayato," I said. My voice can only pronounce his name as though it was the sweetest sound I could ever articulate. "I can undeniably say that I am in love with you."

"But…" He stammered. "B-But Haru…"

Damn. I forgot that she existed for only a second. I wanted to forget longer, so I did the only thing any reasonable person would do. I kissed him until that girl was erased from our memories.

But then she had to open the door and stand there and stare at us. I didn't know what to do when she started crying. Initially I felt bad. Horrible for making a girl cry, but I knew this was for the best. I was releasing them from their illusions. Removing the smoke from their eyes. Haru wasn't crying because the person she loved was with someone else, but because the person she was pretending to love had moved on and she was left alone.

"Haru…!" Hayato shouted as though reminding himself who she was and what she was supposed to mean to him.

I had pretty much figured these two out… or so I thought. I barely predicted that Haru would storm over and slap _me_. I guessed that she would be mad, but I didn't expect her to show her anger towards me.

"Get out." She growled.

Should I hold my ground or just leave? I had taken some time to make this selection of action as soon as I spotted her in the doorway. I stood, gave Hayato a peck on the cheek, and then walked out the door without my rhythm faltering or being disturbed.

* * *

"Yamamoto," Hayato said with a depressed tone that nearly broke my heart. "I need to talk to you."

We were in the headquarters. I was on my way to speak to Ryohei about which of us was going to go on the mission to America. It was an essential concern, but Hayato sounded like he needed me, so that issue would have to wait.

"What is it, Hayato?" I asked casually, faking that I didn't know what he wanted to speak about.

"It's just…" He bit his lip and looked away from me. If he started crying, I wouldn't have been able to take it. I would have had to tackle him right there and love him until I was satisfied. "It's just…" He continued. "I was wondering if what you said before… did you mean it?"

He was too cute. He made me think of a little kid writing a note reading, "Do you like me? Check Yes or No."

I laughed and put a hand on his shoulder, understatedly saying, "Obviously."

"Gah!" He gasped, eyes wide with bewilderment and jaw dropped.

"Why is it so surprising?" I asked. How I enjoy seeing his reactions to my examinations, despite me knowing everything he's going to say.

"B-Because we're both men!" He whispered, adorably upset. I really wanted to hug him, so I did.

"What does that matter?" I asked while frozen in our embracing position. His arms hung limp at his sides.

"Stop it!" he shouted, I could feel the heat of his face on my chest. "This is aggravating! What if someone sees?"

"So," I said as I took away my arms from around him. "If no one could see us, you wouldn't mind doing things like that with me?"

"Ah! Don't twist my words…"

"You're so unbelievably cute, Hayato."

"Don't say stuff like that."

"I really love you."

"Stop!" He hollered, pushing me away. Shit. I had gone too far. I didn't know that I was seriously pissing him off.

"Sorry…" I murmured, attempting to repent for my deeds. "…Hey, Hayato…" I did my best to mimic the appearance of a dejected puppy, there was no way he could be cruel to me that way. "Do you love me too?" I asked after a pause that I made sure was just long enough.

He gave me a look that had the answer within it, but everything else was clouding it: Haru, Lambo, work, society. I couldn't find the yes or the no.

The word "Retreat!" flashed through my mind. I asked a second simpler follow-up question, "Do you like me, Hayato?"

His whole body grew red then he turned away and sprinted off. There was my delightful answer.

* * *

"HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY, LAMBO!" we all bellowed merrily. Tons of people were there all the way from Tsuna to a few lowly subordinates. Hibari clearly didn't end up showing up and sent Kusakabe instead. Probably because he hates kids (which is weird since he's a principal) and crowds, so going to a kid's crowded birthday party sounded like his worst nightmare.

The first thing Lambo did was run up and hug Tsuna's Mama. He failed at trying to hide that he was bawling like the Crybaby Lambo he is.

When he pulled away from her and his gaze scanned all the people, he flushed red.

"Haha! You look like a tomato, Lambo!" I called out. Everyone laughed.

"Extremely perfect since you're Italian, right?" Ryohei chuckled. This made Lambo color even more and us laugh even more.

Distracted by the jokes and teasing, we almost didn't witness when Haru brought in the three tier cow-print cake. We cheered and sung Happy Birthday, then I picked Lambo up in order to help him reach the single tall candle at the top of the cake. When he blew it out, I set him down, and I-Pin blurted out, "What did you wish for?"

"He can't tell you!" Haru giggled.

I-Pin pouted, "Will you please tell me what it was when it comes true, Lambo?"

I think Lambo was going to say something to that, but Bianchi busted into the room with bottles from the wine cellar and Tsuna was carrying pots of pasta.

"Now let's party!" Bianchi shouted. This was returned with several hoots and hollers.

"Whoo hoo!"

"Yeah!"

"I want Pasta all'uovo!"

Lambo was really happy. It warmed my heart to see him smiling so hard and so much. I could tell it made Hayato and Haru feel better too. They started whispering things to each other and tittering like they were really close. It bugged me so much I wanted pull Hayato into a lip-lock right there and paralyze everybody with shock. I controlled myself and resisted this notion, alternatively choosing to ask for Hayato to talk to me on the balcony.

I could feel Haru's suspicious eyes on us as we made our way out the room.

"What is it?" Hayato asked warily.

"Nothing, really. I just couldn't stand seeing you next to her for one more minute." I said dispassionately.

"That's so stupid! I'm going back!" He took a step toward the exit to the balcony, but I grabbed onto his arm and gave him the puppy look again.

"Wait," I entreated. "Stay with me just a bit longer."

He gulped and gave into my appeal. "Fine." He sighed. I smiled and glanced up.

"It's already this late." I noted.

"Time flies by when you're having fun." He said. We both stared at the evening sky while leaning against the balcony railing.

"And what fun it is having everyone together again without any work to get in the way."

"Ah, work… it feels like the whole lot's getting more complicated. It was so much easier when we were kids."

"Really? I feel like it's all much simpler now."

"But when we were younger our whole lives were ahead of us and so little of our past affected us. Now, all we have to deal with is mistakes while trying to fix the future. It's more… muddy now. Like each aspect of life is clogging up and blending together."

Hearing that hurt. I didn't know he felt that way, that he felt that his life was ill.

"Hayato…" I mumbled. I put my hands on his hips and pulled him to me, so that his body was against mine. Slowly I put our lips in a soft kiss and he returned it. I thoroughly believe that I will forever have this moment committed to memory. I felt lighter, like we would both float away. And stronger, like I could lift the whole planet. And smarter, like I had gained all the information of the world. I just felt… better.

When we broke from each other, I knew that if I didn't say it now, it might never get through to him.

"Hayato, I love you." I said as ardently as possible.

"Yamamoto…" He said so faintly that my name drifted away. "I think I love you too."

And that was good enough. I was in the running. I wasn't out of the game yet. He was close to being mine, just with a little more effort, then him and I could be united.

"I want to make you happy." I told him. "I want to clear off the muck so that you can see perfectly, so that your life isn't so congested. I'll make you remember what a genuine bliss feels like."

He cuddled closer to me and I didn't want the day to end.

* * *

But with the news I heard the next day, I'm glad it did.

"Yamamoto… humanity is sick, right?" He moaned into the phone. I said nothing. "Like… ailing. I feel nauseous. Does each person on Earth feel like that? Hey… She's gone, you know? She left. She's at Kyoko's and… th-this house is too big. We got a really big house for some reason. Did we know I was going to feel this sick when she left? Did we know the house would feel this big? I think… I think Lambo's crying. I feel queasy, Yamamoto. Real dizzy. Help me."

That was all he needed to say. I was there.

* * *

Not too long after that, I was a regular visitor to that house. When I would stay over until morning, I would sleep where Haru once slept. I left them breakfast like she once did. I also would go grocery shopping with Lambo when he was being agreeable. I bet he was glad that he didn't always have to make his own breakfast, iron his own clothes, or pack his own lunch so often anymore. Household chores aren't exactly something a spoiled brat is used to.

* * *

Four months passed by since Haru abandoned Hayato and Lambo. Okay, so "abandon" is a bit of exaggeration, but she rarely went to see them (less than once a month) and I was there practically every day. In the morning, Hayato and I would leave for work and when we returned in the evenings, we would sleep in the same bed (Okay, _sometimes_ we would sleep). On week-ends, we would usually hang out and go on dates. We ended that after we came back one day to see a bunch of furniture in Hayato's room shot up by Lambo's new pistol (Tsuna's Papa had got it for him for his birthday). Some stuff was ripped up and some of it had paint smeared on it. Basically, it was wrecked.

Hayato got angry, but realized why Lambo did this and forgave him. I realized that geography-wise, it was going to be hard for me and Lambo to share Hayato, so I proposed the idea that I move in with them. Hayato said that he was unsure of doing so because of how Lambo might react to the situation. In the end, I got what I wanted and transported some of my stuff into the mansion while getting rid of the crap that Haru had left behind like the table in Library (though the least used room, a vital place to show off to others) and the sofa in the den. She also preferred to have the piano in the den, but I had it moved into the Bonus (or Entertainment) room.

Hayato was right about that Lambo the thing. In plainest terms, the kid didn't like me. Going in depth, he would tell me how much he hated my cooking, he would continuously ignore me, he called me 'ulterior motive,' he criticized every part of my life possible, he rolled a hand grenade into the Study while I was getting some papers in there, he put lipstick marks on my dress shirts then left them lying around (this little trick did get me in trouble one or two times), he pushed I-Pin into a closet with me then screamed, "Broccoli Monster!" He covered my side of the bed in tomato sauce, he even (purposely) spilled Penne alla Vodka all over the seats of my Ferrari. I forgave him for all of this.

But eventually, Hayato talked to him and the kid seemed to not mind me. He doesn't complain about my cooking as much and now he calls me 'another family.' A favored nickname.

I never recognized how hard raising a kid could be. While juggling work, Lambo still asks for tons of stuff, advice, help with his homework, and then there's bringing him to the hospital every time he attacks Reborn, planning his visits to see Tsuna's Mama, and dealing with his teenage mood swings.

Since that time, Lambo's been more compliant and I've come to understand him more. Hayato's glad to see me getting along with him so well. Haru called me and left me a message saying that she wants to speak with me. Oh, and Ryohei was the one who ended up going on that mission to America. Lucky.

* * *

**Don't worry, Bianchi poisoned neither the wine nor the pasta at Lambo's party. Next chapter is just a short that I thought was kind of cute. This fic is fun to write =D**

**And sorry again, for Yamamoto's OOCness. x3**


	5. If I were drowning

"I'm trying to do something, Lambo." Gokudera said while moving and signing papers in the Study.

"So we can't have a small chat?" Lambo whined from the doorway.

Gokudera stopped working and turned to the boy. "…Fine. What is it?"

"I was thinking…" Lambo began. "If Yamamocchan and I were drowning in a river, who would you save first?"

Gokudera laughed. "That's obvious. Of course I'd save you."

Lambo nodded. "Okay, okay. What if Vongola and I were drowning?"

There was a moment of silence. Then Gokudera slowly said, "I'd save you."

Tears welled up in Lambo's eyes. "Jerk! You're lying. You had to think about it!"

"These are stupid questions anyways!"

"You'd let me drown to death."

"No, I wouldn't! I'd save you, 'cause the tenth would be able to save himself!"

"Goodness! Now you're saying I couldn't save myself from drowning?"

"You're the moron who asked the inane question in the first place!"

Hearing the commotion all the way from downstairs, Yamamoto came to intervene.

"Hey, hey, what's all this fighting about?" He asked indifferently.

"Take-nii, if Hato-nii and I were drowning in a river, who would you save first?" Lambo asked, wiping away his tears.

"How wide is the river?" Yamamoto asked back.

"Uh… big?"

"What time of day is it?"

"Anytime."

"Hmm… which one's yelling the loudest?"

"We're both yelling at the same volume."

"This is a hard one… I'd save you, Lambo."

Lambo blinked. "Really, why?"

"_That's_ the dumbest question I've heard all day!" Gokudera exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation.

Yamamoto agreed and touched Lambo's shoulder, then summoning all of his fatherly charisma possible, he said, "It doesn't matter who you put yourself up against, Lambo, we'd save you."

Lambo narrowed his eyes and looked at both Yamamoto and Gokudera. Here came the final test.

"Alright…" Lambo said, preparing even himself for this ultimate question. "What if you were drowning in the river with me? Who would you save? Me or yourself?"

The two men thought for a long while before shouting, "That doesn't even make sense!"

Gokudera scribbled some stuff down on paper, trying to figure the problem out. "No matter how I look at it, that doesn't make sense!"

"How am I supposed to answer a senseless question?" Yamamoto pondered, grabbing at his baffled head.

"If we say, we save Lambo, we wouldn't be able to, because we'd be dead, right?"

"And if we say ourselves, then Lambo dies! But we can't let that happen!"

"Precisely!"

"What if we say both?"

"No, can't. It's an 'either or' question, isn't it?"

Lambo stared as the two frantically attempted at coming with an answer before turning away and muttering, "Goodness, in your own ways, you're both idiots…"


	6. Can't help that I'm popular

**A/N: This chapter has more FuutaxLambo. Later there will most likely be more as well as LamboxI-Ipin and maybe (MOST LIKELY) one more Lambo pairing which I mention in the end, because Lambo is so awesome, he gets paired with three different Lambo-spouse candidates. Maybe, in the last chapter, he'll pick his true love or something? idk ;) **

**I enjoy writing this fic, review and tell me you enjoy reading it (please! D=)**

* * *

"Goodness, So many girls are asking me out every day. It's almost annoying." Lambo chortled into the phone. For a while there was no response. "…Fuuta, are you there?"

"Then go out with me."

"Eh?

"If we date you'll have an excuse to tell those girls, you know?"

* * *

And that's how that happened, huh? Lambo thought as he strode home with a heavy mind and a shoulder bag filled with unread love letters. He sighed. Despite their great amount and occasionally, great length, he would always he read every note and reply to each one, which would always be an individual specially-written rejection. Sometimes, Lambo thought he was too kind.

"But I can't be mean to my cute little kittens…" He muttered, images of the adorable girls who approach him surging through his mind.

"Lambo!" A familiar voice sounded behind him making him jump. He turned around to see a smiling and waving I-Pin running his way.

"Oh, hi, I-Pin-chan." He said monotonously.

I-Pin raised an eyebrow as she reached his side and walked next to him. "You seem bothered. Something wrong?"

"Not _wrong_, exactly." He said. It was the truth, just twisted slightly.

"Well, what's up? You can tell me anything." She said with a soft, friendly smile.

A flashback to the kiss. Lambo shook his head and questioned himself, "Can I really tell her?"

"Ah…" He murmured. "I have a bad stomachache. I think I might have diarrhea."

"Gross! You didn't have to tell me _that_!"

"You said I could tell you anything!"

* * *

"I'm home." Lambo said lazily while kicking his shoes off in the genkan and heading to the nearest sofa.

"Oh, welcome back." Gokudera said from behind the kitchen's bar counter with a cigarette hanging from between his lips and his hair pulled back. In front of him was a book titled, "We Are Not Alone: An in Depth Study of Extraterrestrials."

Lambo was not surprised his brother would read a book so stupid, but was shocked by how cool he could look while reading it.

"How was your day?" Gokudera asked disinterestedly while leaning back in his chair, eyes travelling over the book's pages.

"It sucked. I contemplated killing myself. I decided that I would commit suicide by grabbing Hibari-san by the nuts while simultaneously slapping his face. That'd be sure to kill me." Lambo stated sardonically.

"That's nice…" Gokudera mumbled.

"Yep, that's what I thought." Lambo sighed, throwing himself onto the couch so that he was sprawled all over it.

Yamamoto came trotting down the stairs, brow furrowed. "Hey," He called out. "Don't you have any homework?"

Lambo groaned and covered his face with his pillow. "Gubnis, wazzit madder? Why do I eben go to skoo'?"

Yamamoto treaded to Lambo's side and removed the pillow from the boy's head, making him complain about the sudden rush of light.

"There are many reasons why you have to, Lambo. I thought Hayato would've explained this to you." Yamamoto said, going to the genkan and picking up the boy's backpack.

"What about me?" Gokudera said. He poked his head up from his book.

Yamamoto rolled his eyes. "Why are you doing that here? You'd make the library useful for once if you read there. And you," He directed his attention to Lambo and handed him the bag of books. "Go there and get some work done."

Lambo scoffed and grabbed his bag, reluctantly heading for the library. Halfway there, he stopped and looked at Yamamoto. "Later—you have to explain to me why I'm doing this!" then he begrudgingly scooted off to the biblioteca.

* * *

In the midst of him reading something about Japanese History, (a history new to him while many other kids had some idea about what was being taught) his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He set his textbook down and peeked out the window of the library door. Once he determined it was safe to check the phone, he whipped it out to see that Fuuta was calling him. He was scared to answer it. The other day when Fuuta suddenly asked him out, he had bumbled out a childish yes and ever since that moment, he's been regretting it as well as dreading having to talk to Fuuta about it. He liked Fuuta. Fuuta was cool and older and sweet, but it was like with I-Pin. They've known each other since they were kids. Wouldn't dating be awkward?

The phone's buzzing stopped. He couldn't answer now even if he wanted to. Immediately he felt guilty for purposely ignoring the man's call. That was another thing, Fuuta was a _man_. Lambo didn't have a problem with homosexuality (he would have had to move out if he did), but him liking another man wasn't something he was used to. Him liking anyone wasn't something he was used to. Being liked was what he had mastered. The phone vibrated once more, but not as long this time. It wasn't a call, but a text.

With a gulp, Lambo checked his phone, he already knew who the message was from.

'Call me when you get this message. I want to talk to you. :) –Fuuta'

He sighed when he felt his heart beat at the speed of light just from looking at the message. There was no way he was calling him.

* * *

"Do you even realize what you're saying?" Yamamoto asked, trying to hold in his laughter.

"Don't talk down to me! I'm serious!" Gokudera spouted back, flailing his arms into the air. "I read it! It says they have found a real UFO before! I'm telling you, if we had a space program, the Vongola could be the first ones to catch aliens while they're in their natural habitat!"

"That would be mean, wouldn't it? We wouldn't like them catching us." Yamamoto said half-earnestly. It was entertaining seeing Gokudera get worked up though the subject didn't really fascinate Yamamoto.

"You're right… I guess, we'd just sneak up on them and install cameras so that we can keep an eye on them!" Gokudera said, eyes glittering with excitement. "Maybe if we come in contact with them they'll share their advanced technology with us! Or maybe they'll even invite us to live on their planet."

Yamamoto couldn't help but to lean over and kiss Gokudera on the forehead. "You're so cute, I almost can't stand it."

Gokudera looked at him as if he were crazy. "What are you talking about at a time like this? We need to be considering what we're going to do with the aliens!"

Just then the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Gokudera grumbled. He sluggishly opened the door up and barked, "Whaddaya want?"

"Hi, Hayato-san, is Lambo home?" Fuuta asked politely.

"Oh, it's you." Gokudera said before a light bulb popped up over his head and his eyes widened. He eagerly grabbed Fuuta's shoulders. "Oh! It's you!"

Both Yamamoto and Fuuta visually expressed their confusion toward Gokudera's behavior.

Gokudera beamed brightly as he closed the door behind them and offered Fuuta tea and snacks.

The younger man rejected the offer, scared that it might be infected with whatever was making Gokudera act that way.

"You!" The silver haired man shouted as he sat on the couch next Yamamoto and leaned against him. He pointed to Fuuta with a sly smile. "You say you can talk to planets, right?"

* * *

The library was for the most part soundproof, or at least that was what Lambo believed. But of course, in a house like his, you can't expect any room to truly be genuinely soundproof. Even locked up in there, trying to concentrate on English phrases (he already knew two other languages, why was he studying this one too?), he could hear the clamor coming from the front room. With his patience wearing thin, he slammed the textbook closed and stormed into the place where the noise was coming from.

"You tell me to study and do work but then you go and—Fuuta?"

"Lambo!" Fuuta cried out from underneath a wrathful Gokudera who was being pried off by Yamamoto. Once Yamamoto tore Fuuta from the vengeful grip of the angry man, the 20 year-old dashed to Lambo and hugged him tightly.

"You weren't answering my calls and didn't reply to my texts, so I came to see you. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." Fuuta said passionately into Lambo's ear causing the boy's whole body to flush red.

In amazement, Gokudera and Yamamoto watched with suspicious eyes lingering on Fuuta.

"Hey," Lambo managed to say once he pushed Fuuta and his embarrassment away. "D-Don't do that here. In front of them. It's…"

Fuuta nodded. "Sorry. Right. I understand." Then smiled warmly, the smile that Lambo merely felt over the phone for so long, finally he got to see it in person once more.

Lambo fidgeted before mumbling an invitation to his room. Fuuta happily obliged and the pair headed up the stairs.

"Is it just me or did those two seem oddly close?" Gokudera said, wincing slightly as the door to Lambo's room closed.

"Oh, you're paranoid, I'm positive." Yamamoto said. He realized he was trying to reassure himself too. "The only reason you're saying that is because ever since we got together, you've probably been more aware of homosexuality. If you were still with Haru and that just happened, you would've thought it was nothing more than a simple exchange between two friends."

Gokudera bit his lip, needing more support than that.

"Look," Yamamoto said, sitting him down and pulling him close. "Just because we're together doesn't mean that Lambo is suddenly going to turn gay. And even if was, who cares?"

"Whoever said that's what I was thinking?"

"I know you well enough to see straight through your skull, Hayato."

"What? No fair. I can't see through yours."

"Because your eyes have only focused on me recently, though I've been watching you for a while. Concentrate solely on me long enough and we'll know each other so well, we'll be able to see right through the brain and straight into the heart."

Not fully knowing why, Gokudera felt the urge to punch Yamamoto in the stomach. He did, without explanation, but, knowing Gokudera, Yamamoto assumed it because the silver-haired bomber was embarrassed by him saying so much mushy stuff.

* * *

"What was Hato-nii doing?" Lambo asked as he threw himself onto his enormous bed.

Fuuta looked around the room and blurted out, "This place is disgusting!"

Lambo sat up and glanced at either side of the large room. Then agreed. "It _is_ pretty messy."

"Shouldn't you clean it?" Fuuta suggested, laying next to the boy on the bed.

Lambo lied his head back down. "Probably."

"There are porn magazines on the ground."

"I know."

"Throw them away."

"Okay. It wasn't my money."

"That's a horrible way to look at it!"

Lambo huffed and grasped tightly onto a stuffed animal, a cute bull. "You guys are retarded. Always complaining about my personality when you guys are all the ones who raised me."

Fuuta had to think about it at first and after he did, he could only laugh. "You're right!" He looked to the ceiling. "The people you've spent the most time with is all of us, so I guess your horrid behavior is our fault."

"Hey…" Lambo growled.

"Hayato-nii is strange." Fuuta said with furrowed eyebrows, quickly changing the conversation to cover up his insult. "He was asking me to speak to aliens and when I told him I couldn't do it he started yelling at me."

"That's Hato-nii for you…" Lambo said with a slight chuckle. "He's so funny. Even though he's more mature now, he still hasn't changed at heart."

"I think that goes for everyone. We all seem to revert back some years when in each other's company." Fuuta said, remembering the past, thinking that everything was more complicated then.

"Ugh," Lambo whined. "Back then life was easier. Everything's muddled now."

"I think it's the other way around."

"Not for me. Along with normal schoolboy worries like crushes and homework, I also have to put up with being the Lightning Guardian, cleaning the bathrooms, _Reborn_, Hato-nii scolding me about every little thing, and just… just… nothing's _painless_." Lambo screamed as loud as he could into his pillow after finishing with his list of complaints. "How annoying!"

"But now it feels like we've reached a goal. Like we need to move on to the next thing. Think bigger. Aim higher. There's not enough to do anymore, but laze around like lions and maintain rather than gain." Fuuta said with a twinkle in his eyes that told Lambo all he needed to know.

"Whoa…" Lambo murmured thoughtfully. "You're so much more mature than me, Fuuta."

"Of course I am. I'm older than you."

"Why would you like someone stupid and selfish and cowardly and lazy like me?"

"Hmm… that pretty much is you nutshell, huh?"

"Goodness, thanks for the confidence boost."

Fuuta laughed and wrapped his arms around Lambo. "You're so cute, Lambo. You don't even realize how charming all those aspects of you are."

Lambo's whole body felt like it was being boiled. He tried to say, "Don't get so close!" but the words came out so inaudibly and stuttered that just sounded like noise.

Fuuta hugged Lambo tightly so that his lips were at the boy's ears. Lambo could feel the man's breath on the sensitive skin of his ears and the back of neck. The curly haired boy squirmed under Fuuta's grasp, becoming very bothered.

"F-Fuuta…" He moaned.

"Lambo…" Fuuta said feverishly back, crawling on top of the boy so that he had Lambo's wrists pinned down. They stared into each other's eyes. Fuuta leaned down to kiss Lambo…

The door clicked and a slither of foreign light entered the room. Quickly, Lambo pulled his knees to his chest and extended his legs, successfully kicking Fuuta off of him, off the bed, and into a pile of grenades and clothes and other things. The action didn't even give Fuuta enough time to shout in surprise.

"Hey, you guys, I brought some tea and snacks to say sorry about earlier!" Gokudera said with a false cheeriness when he stepped inside, a tray of mentioned items in his hands. The pulsing vein on his forehead made it clear that Yamamoto had convinced him to apologize.

Gokudera's eyes widened with rage when he noticed Lambo's face was heated to the point tears were leaking out.

Within an instant, Gokudera had dropped the tray and was grabbing Fuuta by his neck. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"Nothing!" Fuuta gasped.

Gokudera looked to Lambo, who nodded fervently, before releasing his grip on Fuuta's throat. The younger man wheezed and panted, feeling as though he was going to faint. He was starting to agree with Lambo. Nothing was painless.

* * *

"Come back over anytime." Yamamoto said as the estranged family waved Fuuta goodbye.

"But not really." Gokudera snapped.

"He doesn't mean it." Yamamoto said.

"Yes, I do."

"He's just mad you can't talk to aliens."

"That's just one thing."

"And for some reason he thinks you're going to rape Lambo."

"You talk too much!" Gokudera's face flushed as he covered Yamamoto's mouth and scrambled to shut the door.

"What?" Lambo said with a blank face, trying to comprehend what Yamamoto had just said.

"N-Nothing! Takeshi said something stupid is all!" Gokudera hollered, kicking and hitting Yamamoto.

"You really think something like that would happen to me?" Lambo asked. Gokudera's attempt at masking the comment was obviously futile. "Is this because I groped on the train that one time?" Lambo pouted.

Both Gokudera and Yamamoto froze. "W-What?"

"Oh, I never told you about that?"

Silence washed over the three for a few seconds then…

"What the hell? Did you get the guy's name?"

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Did you beat him up? Please tell me you kicked that guy's ass!"

"Do you remember how he looked? We could put a bounty on him."

"Where did he touch you? No, never mind that! Just tell me you kicked his ass!"

Lambo stared up at their angered faces and shrugged. "I mean, it wasn't a big deal. I just don't ride the train anymore."

* * *

After that, Lambo was double times as much spoiled by his brothers for the next week or so. And when word spread about the event, even all the subordinates and guardians were babying him. Excluding Hibari who secretly wanted to beat him up for being weak enough to get felt up without kicking the guy's ass.

* * *

**Cute, right? If you like the FuutaxLambo, look forward to more! (Probably not next chapter, but later most likely.) I need to add more Reborn in this fic, I think I see Lambo's heart being divided three ways? ;]**


	7. It's Haru!

**A/N: So this chapter mostly shows how their relationships with Haru are now... A few dark(-ish) moments and some humorous ones. For some reason, I want to add some Hibari into this fic. Next chapter might have something to do with him, because I love writing lines for Hibari xD**

**If you like D18, you should check out my other fics. If you like any other Hibari pairings, tell me. I think I'll give writing a fic for a different Hibari pairing a shot (though D18 and 8018 are my favorites.)**

* * *

"Hey, Haru, what's up?" Yamamoto asked with a shining smile and a small wave of the hand as a casual, kind, and friendly greeting.

Her instantaneous reaction was to slap him. All the frustration she had kept inside finally released after her hand struck across his face, leaving it red and pulsating.

The hit caused his head to turn away from her, so that he was looking towards the ground. Slowly, he brought his saddened gaze on her eyes.

She was panting from the sudden discharge of fury. Of desperation. Regret. Hurt. Naivety.

Eyes closed, Yamamoto breathed in deeply and gradually let out the breath.

"Don't tell me this is about what happened." He said. "That was a while ago. Aren't you over it?"

"Not until just now."

They stood in silence, Yamamoto wallowing in shame as he had to look at her distressed expression. "Do you hate me now?"

"I should, Takeshi-chan." She admitted. "I should hate you. I should call you a home wrecker. I should never want to see your face again. I know plenty of girls who would've done such horrible things." She gently touched the cheek she struck. "But how can anyone dislike you, Takeshi-chan? Besides, I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever and I miss my friend."

Yamamoto squeezed her hand more tightly to his face, leaning into the warmth. He closed his eyes, a sort of peace engulfing the two. "Thank you so much, Haru."

More silence. Then, Yamamoto had to ask.

"That's all good and fine, but why did you want to meet me outside of Kiddyland?"

She giggled and clapped her hands together. "Isn't it obvious? In honor of our beautiful reunion, you are going shopping with Haru!"

* * *

"And he was kind of an asshole, so Haru said no way!" Haru blabbered on as they entered the house with bags full of cute, useless things (for Haru) and men's clothes (for Yamamoto). "Oh, Takeshi-chan, Haru kind of likes what you guys have done with the place. She means, since you two are… you know, _like that_, she supposes you're good at stuff like decorating, right?"

"Haru…" Yamamoto muttered tautly. "That's a bit rude."

"Oops! Sorry, sorry! Haru didn't mean it offensively!" She said with a gasp and sincere frown.

"It's alright…" Yamamoto said, setting the bags down and sitting on the couch. "Come sit with me."

Haru grinned and joined him, legs crossed formally with her hands clasped together. "You know, Takeshi-chan," she said. "That was really fun. Haru's glad she made up you. Let's do it again some other time. Maybe Haru will find a decent guy and she can bring him on a double date with you and Hayato-chan."

"That'd be a blast. I really _do_ hope you find true love." Yamamoto insisted.

"It must be nice. Hayato-chan isn't a bad man after all." She said, laying her head down in Yamamoto's lap and putting her feet on the sofa. "You're so lucky~ Stealing him away from the women! It's almost not fair, but—"

"All _is_ fair in love and war!" They said simultaneously, followed by laughter.

"I owe you a lot." Yamamoto said with a heavy voice.

"No, you don't. Haru already forgave you, remember?" Haru said tapping Yamamoto's cheeks lightly.

"Well, not for that. For taking care of Lambo. It's harder work than I thought." Yamamoto said with a deep sigh.

"It's only going to get harder." She said bluntly. "You think he's spoiled now? Imagine when he starts asking for a car, for money to buy his own place, money for his wedding! Oh god, imagine him getting married! Ah, we'll be so old! We'll be ancient! Wah! Hold me, Takeshi-chaaaaaan!" Haru cried as she grabbed onto Yamamoto, weeping.

Yamamoto patted her back. "There, there," he cooed. "By the time Lambo would be ready to get married, we will not be old at all! Old_er_, but not old, Haru!"

"They're the same thing to Haru! Think about when we die! Who will take care of him?"

"Are you even listening to yourself anymore?"

"I wonder who's all going to leave stuff for Lambo-chan in their wills? I'll give him everything I've got!"

"Our wills, huh…?"

"As a part of the mafia crowd, shouldn't you guys work out things like this?"

Yamamoto face scrunched up at the thought of having to write a will. "We did when we first inherited the family, but now that I look back on what I was planning on leaving to who… it's all changed now."

"What was that like?"

"Writing it?" He couldn't even say the word anymore, because to him it meant 'when I **die**.' "Most terrible atmosphere possible. It was me, Tsuna, Ryohei, and Hayato all sitting at a big table with blank papers in front of us and pens clutched in our hands. We all knew the same thing was running through our heads. Something along the lines of, 'this feels like we're planning our own funerals.' It was wretched having to ask yourself, 'if I were killed right now, who would I give my things to?' Back then, there was no way I could think of that question without getting a little tense."

Haru smiled sadly. "But now you know who you'd give it all to?"

"Yep. If I go, anything that was once mine would be Hayato's."

"If you both…?"

"Then it's Lambo's."

Haru chuckled sorrowfully. "Hopefully Lambo isn't listening or he'd kill us all! He'd be such a rich kid."

The two giggled at her joke then hurriedly changed the subject, wondering how their conversation got so dark.

Little did they know, Lambo was listening, but he certainly wasn't scheming their deaths…

* * *

"I'm back from the store!" Gokudera called out as he busted in with several bags of groceries. "There's more stuff in the car. Lambo, go get it, will ya?"

"Of course!" Lambo roared, sprinting down the stairs, to the car, and back. He brought in as many groceries as he could possibly manage at a time and did it faster than ever. Once he was finished, he toppled to the ground, panting.

Gokudera simply stared at him and commented, "Okaaay. That was weird." He knelt over and shook the boy. "What's up with you?"

Suddenly, Lambo grabbed onto Gokudera's sleeves and sobbed loudly, "Don't die, Hato-nii! Oh, goodness, don't die! Waaaaaah! I don't care if I get your stuff *sniff sniff* If you die, I'll… I'lll… I don't know! That's just how much you need to not die! 'cause if you do, I'll be scared and alone and confused and probably suicidal! Oh god, what if I develop a drinking problem! You hear that, you die and I lose my liver! My liver!" Then there were sniffles and globs of tears and snot along with tons of wails.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gokudera asked, getting sick of Lambo spewing out too many bizarre or repulsive things.

With one big sweep of his arm, Lambo flung away his mucus and tears to answer, "I overheard Haru-nee and Take-nii talking about writing wills and I started thinking about what I'd do if guys died and I… I…"

Gokudera shoved his hand in the boy's face. "I swear you start that again and I'll hit you harder than Zidane headbutt Materazzi!" Then Gokudera's expression changed to one of shock. "Wait, you said Haru?"

"What's all that noise?" Yamamoto asked, trotting down the stairs. His face brightened as soon as he laid eyes on Gokudera. "You're back!"

Right behind him was the previously mentioned woman, Haru. "Hey." She said quietly from the stairway.

"Hey." Gokudera said just as quietly back.

The two had long since "made up." They felt the need to, for Lambo's sake. Haru still wanted updates on his grades, his behavior, his happiness. Just because she was out of the house, she didn't want to be out of Lambo's life.

Despite that, things between her and Gokudera were still awkward to say the least. When they looked at each other, they questioned why they ever thought their relationship could work. They remembered times when they were intimate and couldn't help but to slightly regret that they shared that side of themselves. They were reminded of the revolting things they said to one another. They thought of how much time was wasted on their nonexistent love. And those are all things hard to forget when trying to rebuild a friendship.

Sorry was said a thousand times over and thank you for being with me and thank you for helping me with the child and thank you for your support and thank you for not hating me. They didn't hate each other. They could very well stand each other. But each other's presence wasn't _wanted_ very much.

"Haven't seen you in a while." Gokudera said to Haru, while having the strange instinct to pull Lambo towards himself and away from her.

"But your voice is still familiar." Haru said.

"We talked on the phone last week about having Lambo stay you at your place for a while." Gokudera stated, glancing down at the boy.

"Visiting Haru-nee…?" Lambo muttered, having heard nothing about this.

"Yeah, you never called back." Haru said with a slight tone of accusation lurking in her voice.

Rather than make an excuse for his actions, Gokudera scoffed showing what his intent was. Haru scowled in reply. The tension could've been cut with knife. A very strong knife. Like one of those Miracle Blade knives. Luckily, getting rid of tension was one skill that Yamamoto had acquired long ago.

"You know what will be great? Hayato and I making dinner for you two! So, go on into the dining room and do some catching up!" Yamamoto said, pushing Haru and Lambo into the dining room anxiously. "And we'll cook up something tasty. Have fun!" Once the door to the room was closed, he leaned against it and sighed.

"Do I really have to cook?" Gokudera asked. "You know I suck at cooking."

"What the hell was that?" Yamamoto asked irritably. He put on an apron and went to the refrigerator, taking out several ingredients before reaching up to the cabinets to get out utensils.

"What do you mean?" Gokudera retorted, sitting on a barstool and watching Yamamoto get to work.

"You know what I mean. The way you were acting." Yamamoto said while rolling his eyes and cracking some eggs over a bowl.

"What about it?" Gokudera looked around on the counters until he spotted a bag of Bourbon Petit: Chocolate Chip & Green Tea Cookie.

"Ugh, just… tell me why you said no to Lambo sleeping over at her place." Yamamoto began cutting up carrots after turning on the oven to let it pre-heat.

"I didn't say no." Gokudera said nonchalantly as he popped a cookie into his mouth.

"Then what did you say?" Yamamoto turned on the sink and put a pot underneath the running faucet.

"Nothing. I hung up on her." Crumbs scattered onto the counter as Gokudera spoke.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. She was like, 'So, why not have Lambo stay with me for a week or so.' And I hung up on her."

Yamamoto shook his head. "Well, you could have at least—Hold on, why am I doing all the work? Come help me."

Swallowing the one he just placed on his tongue, Gokudera pushed the cookies to the side and put on an apron as well. "I'm telling you, I suck at cooking."

* * *

"So, Lambo-chan, how have things been going here?" Haru asked as the two waited for their meals to be prepared.

"Fine, I guess. It took a while to get used to Take-nii being here instead of you, Haru-nee." Lambo said with puppy-dog eyes.

She leaned over the table and hugged him. "You're so adorable, Lambo-chan! You should run away from here and live with Haru forever!"

Lambo laughed as she sat back down. "There's no way I could do that!"

"Don't want to leave Hayato-chan, huh?"

"Not just that, but running away seems like a lot of work." The words came out of Lambo's mouth as though they were nothing less than a normal truth.

"Ha ha, you can be so lazy sometimes, Lambo-chan!" Haru said with a sweet smile. "Plus, we all know if you were going to run away, where you would run away to."

"There are days when I have to persuade myself to not escape to the airport."

"You really miss her, don't you?"

"I still remember the way my parents treated me. Like I was worthless, a mistake, but Maman…"

Haru looked up, reminiscing on the old days. "She was everything a mother should be. Haru hopes to be a mama like her one day."

"Hey, hey, it might be too late." Lambo snickered. "You know, Maman was younger than you when she had Vongola."

Haru puffed up her cheeks. "Be quiet! Haru still has years left until it's too late! Takeshi-chan said so earlier! We may be getting older, but we're not getting old!"

Lambo's eyes fixed to the floor. "Don't… don't remind of that discussion."

"Lambo-chan… you heard us?"

Lambo gulped and nodded.

"Oh, Lambo…" Haru whispered. "It's alright. We're not going anywhere for a long while."

"But we're in the mafia! We never know when—"

"Stop with that talk! Nothing is going to take Takeshi-chan or Hayato-chan away from you! You know that!"

Lambo's fingers curled into fists and his teeth clenched. "But just last week, Ryo-chan… he…"

Haru's eyes widened then softened as she turned her head away. "It was just a small injury luckily. He was even able to heal on site by himself. But that… that was an accident. It was nothing other than misfortune."

"It easily could've been worse though!"

"Lambo!"

Yamamoto peeked into the room. "Just here to ask what you would like to drink."

"Haru wants grape juice." Haru said, knowing that they would most likely cook Italian food for Lambo's sake and only wine or grape juice went best with Italian meals.

"Brunello di Montalcino." Lambo answered with a straight face.

Yamamoto nodded and exited the room.

"Wh-What? You're not old enough to drink, Lambo-chan! That's illegal." Haru huffed.

"Not in Italia."

"We're not in Italy!"

"But Hato-nii lets me. He knows I don't overdo it." In the back of his head he added the phrase, 'when he's around.'

"How long has Hayato-chan been letting you drink alcohol?" Haru barked.

"Only wine and only with my meals. I strictly get one glass, never anymore." This time in his head he added, 'unless Hato-nii is drunk too, then it's a free-for-all.'

"How long?"

"Since I started living here."

"No way! Haru never even noticed."

"You're slow, Haru-nee."

"Well, as long as you're responsible…"

* * *

"That food sucked." Lambo complained immediately after finishing off everything on his plate.

"You asshole!" Gokudera hollered, slapping him on the back of the head. "It's not my fault! Takeshi was the one who made me cook."

"I don't think it tasted that bad." Yamamoto said poking at his scarps with a fork.

"Haru is still not used to Italian dishes." Haru commented, as though making an excuse for the poor taste.

"That's right. You would usually cook something Japanese for yourself when you were here." Gokudera noted.

"Haru doesn't dislike it. It just seems so fancy. Having it too often appeared indulgent to Haru." She admitted while rubbing her stuffed stomach. "Haru feels like sleeping now. So filling~"

"You can spend the night here." Yamamoto said, helping Haru to her feet. "You can stay in one of the guest rooms."

"Really? You're so kind and Haru's so sleepy…"

Yamamoto merely laughed at this while his partner wasn't so fond of the kind offer.

"She is not staying here!" Gokudera hissed in Yamamoto's ear.

"Why not?" Yamamoto whispered back.

"It's weird!"

"What part of helping a friend is weird?"

"Fine then, do what you want!" Then the silver-haired man stormed off without another word.

* * *

Gokudera sat up, stretching and yawning. He then looked to his side to see medium-length streaks of dark brown hair lying daintily over the pillow next to his. Oh, he thought, it's Haru.

"Morning, Haru," He said while leaning over and hugging the girl. "Weird. Why does this feel… nostalgic?" His tired, half-lidded eyes shot open. "Holy shit! What the fuck are you doing in our bed?" He screamed suddenly, throwing himself to the other side of the bed and kicking at the woman with his feet.

The uproar and kicking woke the slumbering Haru and she was unhesitant to be shocked to find herself lying in the same bed as Gokudera. "Eek! Oh dear God, please tell Haru she didn't do it with you! Gross!"

"I should be the one saying that!" Gokudera snarled.

"I bet you pounced on Haru, you pervert! You miss the touch of a woman!"

"What the hell are you saying? Stupid girl!"

"Was Haru really that good to you before? To the point where you had to rape her now?"

"Are you daft?"

"What is daft?"

Then Yamamoto came into the room with a shaven face on one side and the other covered in shaving cream. He was dressed in nothing but his boxers with a razor in his hands. "I see you guys woke up." He had bags under his eyes and he let out a fierce yawn. "What was I doing again? Brushing my teeth?" He put the razor to his mouth.

"No!" Both Haru and Gokudera bellowed, scrambling to stop Yamamoto from carving his lips off.

* * *

"Hmm…" Yamamoto hummed, sitting at a table with a flustered Haru and Gokudera. "I guess I must've been drowsy too. And since Hayato was already asleep, he must've not noticed when I tiredly placed Haru on my side of the bed then fell downstairs and crawled to the guestroom to sleep."

"You do that kind of sleepwalking, Takeshi-chan?" Haru asked bewilderedly.

"Yes." Gokudera said right away. "But how do you know you fell down the stairs?"

Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, well I have all these bruises on me and my muscles ache so there's no other way to explain it."

"You loser. So uncool." Gokudera said.

"Sorry." Yamamoto replied with his head hanging low.

"Adults." Lambo announced from the edge of the room. "I do not feel like walking to school today. One of you will drive me."

"Is that how you ask for something, you brat?" Gokudera said. He grabbed the boy and put him in a headlock. "Ask properly!"

"Ow, you're hurting me!" Lambo whined. "I'll call child services!"

Yamamoto and Haru chortled as the pair left the room in that silly manner.

"You know," Haru began. "It seems like Lambo-kun is doing really well here. I feel proud of him and I'm definite that he's happy. He doesn't have to stay with me if he doesn't want to."

Yamamoto put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he does. I'll talk to Hayato about it, don't worry."

Haru leapt up and wrapped her arms around the tall man's neck. "Really? Oh, you're the best, Takeshi-chan! Truly an awesome friend! Haru's so happy! Maybe you can give Haru fashion tips, help her decorate her apartment, and tell her how to woo a man too! "

Yamamoto chuckled nervously before pulling her off. "Haru… saying stuff like that is still…"

"Oops! Sorry!"

* * *

**Ah~ What should happen next chapter? xD**

**More romance? More drama? More comedy? How about them all!**


	8. Nana the Mama

**A/N: This chapter is mostly just showing sort of how Lambo got even more attached to Nana. Then at the end, it's the beginning of a plot that will come in later (not next chapter though, that feels too soon). **

**Ah~ Lambo's affection for Nana is super cute. Now I want to write a seperate fic about simply the mother-son connection between these two.**

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* * *

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Shōgakkō Year One

"Maman," Lambo said while Nana removed the six year-old's backpack.

"Yes, Lambo-chan?" She asked, placing the bag on a hook by the door and going into the kitchen to fix him his after-school snack.

"Today, something happened in school..." Lambo said quietly, looking downward.

Nana immediately noticed that Lambo wasn't happy the way he usually was all those other days when he would march in blabbing about getting more minions. "What happened?" She knelt next to him and held his face as tears ran down his cheeks.

"I'm different, Maman." He whined. "They made fun of me and called me 'gaijin.' What does that mean? They picked on me and made fun of my name, they didn't even want to be my minions anymore and they pulled my hair." He then freely let his tears fall.

"Oh, Lambo-chan," Nana pulled the boy close and stroked his head. "It's okay, they're just jealous because you stand out so much. It's alright…"

Later on, while Tsuna was talking with Gokudera and Yamamoto in his room, Nana slammed the door open.

"Eh? Mom, what's wrong?" Tsuna called out, stunned. Yamamoto and Gokudera were shocked as well.

Nana put her hands on her hips and slanted her eyebrows inward. "Tsu-kun! Did you know Lambo-chan was being picked on at school? He's being called mean names and pushed around! When you drop him off at his Elementary school tomorrow, talk to the teacher about this!" She then exited, slamming the door once more.

Gokudera scoffed, "The runt's being bothered by other kids? I'm not surprised."

"I wonder if there's some way we can help." Yamamoto said while they worked out mafia-related business on paper.

Tsuna rubbed his temples and sighed. "I think it's best if I just talk to his teacher."

Gokudera then looked down at the papers on the table in front of them that had scribbles of orders for ammo and the first drafts of a contract to be signed by a lesser family who was wreaking havoc over in Italy. That's when it hit him. They were members of the freakin' mafia trying to come up with how to stop a six year-old from getting picked on.

* * *

"Oh god, Gokudera, why did I let you talk me into this?" Tsuna murmured as they walked in a group to Lambo's school.

"What? This is a brilliant plan. Let's see kids pick on him after this."

"I'm pumped to the extreme! I'll make sure nobody messes with Lambo!"

"Haha, my bat looks weird with all this fake blood on it."

"You guys are super embarrassing. Why are you dressed like that?"

"Shh, stupid cow! Here we go!"

Then, Lambo entered the school with four 16 year-olds sluggishly following behind him. As the group passed by, kids gasped and teachers covered students' eyes.

Lambo opened the door to his classroom and several jaws dropped.

There stood Ryohei, Yamamoto, Gokudera, and even Tsuna with open gakuran jackets to reveal T-shirts slathered in dirty words in English or bandages around their stomachs. Tsuna had a bandana on along with a chain on his pants. Gokudera's hair was in a ponytail and his signature cigarette handing out his mouth. Though unable to take off his usual smile, Yamamoto carried a bloody bat and had blood smeared or splashed onto his clothing. Ryohei wore his signature bandage on his nose along with several on his face and wrapped around his hands. His face was scary enough as well.

"Hello," Tsuna said kindly to the teacher, nervous about the impression he might give her for being dressed that way with the company of the other "delinquents." "I was just dropping off Lambo, but also he's been complaining about some of the other children picking on him. I just wanted to make sure that you'd try and help him make friends."

The three teens standing behind him all glared simultaneously at the teacher making her nod with all her might. Then just for good measure, they also sent the classroom an evil look.

"Okay then, thank you." Tsuna said to the teacher, bowing and turning to his friends. "Let's go to school you guys."

Yamamoto grinned. "But we might want to change first." He then looked to Lambo. "Bye, lambo, see you later!"

Ryohei waved to the child. "Be good!" He roared.

"Remember," Gokudera warned. "Friends are friends, not minions. Or at least that's what Tsuna's mama told me to tell you."

Tsuna chuckled nervously before pushing his companions of the class. "Have a nice day, Lambo!"

Lambo waved back at them while shouting, "Bye Tsu-nii! Bye, Goku-nii! Bye, Ryo-chan! Bye, Yamamocchan!"

The thought that ran through each occupant of the room was, 'Yama_mocchan_?'

And it worked. Lambo wasn't teased for the rest of the year.

* * *

_Shōgakkō Year Three_

Lambo busted into the house, crying. "Maman! Maman!" He called out.

In an instant, Nana was to the babe's side, wiping his tears and asking, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"Today, in school," Lambo began. "Some boy called me a girl and pushed me into the dirt! He said I was no good because I was stupid and ugly and mean! Waah!"

"Oh, Lambo," Nana cooed. "You're none of things. You're a smart, handsome boy who may come off as cowardly, but is very nice."

"Really?" Lambo asked, looking into Nana's truthful eyes and at her genuine smile.

"Really." She said firmly.

Lambo sniffled and rubbed at his nose with his sleeve. "Then why would that boy say all those nasty things?"

"He's just jealous because you stand out so much!"

* * *

_Shōgakkō Year Four_

"Maman!" Lambo cried as soon as stepping through the door. "The teacher scolded me today! She said I wasn't good at making friends and needed to play nicer, but I am trying really hard to get along with everyone and make them my servants!"

"Lambo-chan, friends are friends, not minions." Nana said as she got out some mini-éclairs from the refrigerator. "You shouldn't want them to serve you, but play with you."

"Aren't they basically the same thing?" Lambo said while hoisting himself into a seat and reaching for the box of éclairs as Nana set them down on the table.

"No, silly! You must remember to be kind and trusting to make friends otherwise, you're a tyrant. But you must really stand out if you're catching your instructor's attention too!" She said, squeezing his nose and watching squirm.

After his little nose was freed, Lambo popped an éclair into his mouth and stared at Nana.

"What's wrong, Lambo-chan?" Nana asked.

Lambo hurriedly chewed and swallowed the sweet then said, "You're very pretty, Maman."

Nana giggled and pat the boy on the head. "Oh, you're quite the charmer, Lambo-chan!"

* * *

_Shōgakkō Beginning of Year Six_

"Maman, Maman!" Lambo bawled as he leapt into the woman's arms. "I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole day! How is your cold?"

"I'm better, Lambo-chan. Don't worry about me!" Nana said, squeezing the boy. "You're such a nice child."

"Maman…?" Lambo said, teary-eyed. "Are you okay?"

She released her hold on the boy and sat him down at the table. "Lambo-chan, what would you do if Maman went away for a while?"

"What… what do you mean?" Lambo stuttered, eyes wide and fear rising in his heart.

"Maman was talking to Papa and they were discussing moving…" Nana said as softly as possible, but no matter how gentle the voice, the sentence still would've thrust the boy into a state of pure anxiety.

"Maman… wants to leave me…?" Lambo mumbled, backing away from Nana as though afraid of her cold.

"Never, Lambo-chan!" Nana shouted, reaching out for the boy. "Mama would never want to leave you. Mama loves you, Lambo…"

"Liar! You're just like Lambo's old Mama and Papa! You don't care about me at all!" Lambo quickly threw off his backpack and dashed up the stairs, locking himself in Tsuna's old room.

"Lambo!" Nana called out.

"Mom…?" Tsuna asked as he came in through the door. "You appear worried. Everything okay?"

Nana's eyes casted downwards. "I… told Lambo."

Tsuna sighed. "Something tells me he didn't take it well?"

Nana's lip quivered and her hands clenched together. Her glossed over orbs told Tsuna that his mother was on the brink of weeping, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He trotted up the stairs and went to the door of his old room then knocked. "Lambo?" He said. Inside the room, he could only hear crying. "Lambo!" He called out one more time. The sobs quieted a bit. "Are you listening?" There was no reply. "Look, Lambo, Mom and Dad have been talking about this for a while and we've all realized it's for the best if they moved to Italy, but you have to stay here for your education. I understand you're upset. I mean, even at my age, it's kind of hard to see them go so far away, but I have to be an adult about it and though I think it's a hard thing to ask of someone your age, please be an adult about this as well. You'll be able to visit Mom plenty and you'll even get to stay with one of your brothers or sisters…"

For a long time there was nothing but silence, then –just as Tsuna was going to give up for the day- the door clicked open and Lambo poked his head out. "Can I stay with you, Aniki?"

"We'll see," Tsuna said with a gentle smile. "We're still deliberating it."

"And I get to visit Maman lots?"

"Yep. Lots and lots."

"…Fine. Then I approve."

Tsuna laughed, thinking, 'We weren't looking for your approval as much as your acceptance…'

When Lambo came out, holding Tsuna's hand, he looked Nana in the eyes and said, "Be very careful in Italy, Maman! Don't get into any trouble! You'll make a bunch of friends if you're kind and trusting. Just because you'll be a foreigner, don't let anyone make fun of you! And whatever you do, don't stand out too much! It only gives you a million and one problems!"

* * *

_Chūgakkō Beginning of Year One_

After that, Lambo did _**a lot**_ of growing up…

"Hey, Goku-nii," Lambo droned from the kitchen of Haru and Gokudera's home. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What?"

"Recently, I was confessed to," Lambo said while reaching for the cabinet containing the bars of San Carlo's capriccio.

"Oh?" Gokudera asked from the sofa while lighting a cigarette. "How'd it go? Did you tell her yes?" his tone sounded only semi-interested.

Lambo's face became strained and he paused in his quest to get the capriccio. "That's the thing. It was boy and he said he wanted to have sex with me."

Gokudera blundered, his cigarette falling out and his jaw hanging wide.

"But," Lambo continued, recalling his mission and once again, jumping to get to the cupboard. "I rejected him and told him I didn't even know how two guys would do it. Then I had an epiphany." He placed his hands face down on the counter and hoisted himself up. Standing on the clean, beautiful marble, Lambo opened the cabinet and pulled out the treat, happily licking his lips with excitement. He hopped back to the floor and peeled the wrapper from his sweet. "I don't even know how to do it with a girl. Could you tell me, Aniki, so that when a girl asks me to plow her, I'll know how?"

Gokudera's face turned white. He wanted to say so many things (Where did _you_ learn those words? A _guy_ said he wanted to _have sex_ with you? In your grade? Where did _he_ learn those words? How should I explain any of this?), but he wasn't sure where to start, so he did what a parent would do.

"Haru!" Gokudera yelled. And a parent would have their significant other take over in order to give themselves time to recover from the shock.

* * *

And years later, without him knowing, an important mission and even was brewing for Lambo...

_Present Day Vongola Base_

Tsuna was inattentively typing up a message on his laptop when his phone obnoxiously rang. He groaned before looking at the clock that rested on the edge of his desk. 2:47 A.M. Blinked in bright red letters as though saying, "Why the hell aren't you asleep?"

Losing his wits, he answered the clock. "I don't know. There's so much work and now this goddamned phone…"

He knew he had to pick it up. Staring at it was just a challenge for him. He was daring himself not to answer it, but in the end the irritating ringing always got its way.

"Hello?"

"Boss! Boss! We found'im! We found'im!"

"You did?" Tsuna shouted excitedly, all his energy coming back to him with this good news.

"Yeah, yeah! We're walkin'im back to HQ now, but uh…"

"…But what? …Wait, why are you walking? What happened to the Jeeps?"

"Yeah, well, that's the thing…" In the background an explosion was heard along with some gunshots and screaming. "He's… pretty pissed."

Tsuna's jaw dropped. "Oh dear God," he muttered. "What happened?"

"You see—"

"Is that Tsuna?" A familiar voice hissed from the background.

"It is, but I'm talkin' to'im right now."

"Shut up. Give me the phone." There was then crackling and the sounds of punches being thrown. "Tsuna, you bastard." The voice said coolly, but with a stringent scornful tone.

"Where have you been? Not only have we been worried sick about you, but I have a stack of missions that need you to complete!"

"Calm down, calm down, Vongola tenth. I got a little sidetracked during my last task." Tsuna could hear subordinates yelling, "Get down, it's gonna blow!" Then more blasts and bangs. The voice scoffed, "Well, that one was a bit late. Hey, I'm pretty angry about this bounty thing, y'know. You didn't have to send a search party out for me. I called you just a month ago, 'member?"

"You didn't tell me anything! All you said was, 'I'm good. Might be back in a few months!' I have assignments for you that aren't going to wait a few months!"

"Hey, Anastasio! Duck! That Jeep's gonna be completely obliterated in about 5… 4… 3… 2…"

Boom! "Waaaaugh!"

"1. Heh heh. Now what were you saying, Tsuna?"

"Urgh, just get over here!" Tsuna roared before slamming the phone down onto the receiver and putting his head into his hands. He let out a long screech of pure aggravation.

Only about a minute or so later, several burnt subordinates with crispy skin, scalded scalps, and scorched suits were tossed into Tsuna's office. They were all groaning and complaining, though very much alive. After them, a tall, lean figure strode in, donned in a black suit and hat which had a yellow rim. He rubbed his hands together to clean them of dust and dirt.

"Well, that's all of them. So, what did you need?"

"I'm getting tired of this. I send you to do one thing and you always come back late after going missing for long periods of time! You need a leash!" Tsuna growled, trying to hide his irritation which was usually easy since he was kind and had plenty of patience for people, but now he was becoming fed up. "In fact, this is the last straw!" He tossed a paper in front of the man. "Finish that job and return here promptly. If you are unable to do this, your responsibilities will be demoted to the errands of subordinates, got it? I'll make sure that you'll be stuck here at headquarters 24/7!"

The man scowled, face hidden in the shadow of the brim of his hat. "Trying to tie me down, eh?" He mumbled, grabbing the paper that had his mission written on it. He then made his way for the door.

Tsuna demanded for him to stop and he did so. "Are you going to do it? Will you be back on time," He looked at the man solemnly. "Reborn?"

Reborn chuckled and said, "Who knows?" Then in a flash, he was off. Never to be seen again. I'm kidding. He'll be back.

* * *

**The parts involving Reborn are gonna be fun (they're going to include Nana as well... you'll see, it'll make sense). No idea what I'll do next chapter. Give me some ideas. I want to write one or two more chaps before starting this thing w/Reborn. **


	9. Spit it out, I Pin chan

**A/N: Very little editing for this chapter. I might've skimmed over it. Sorry. =C**

**More FuutaxLamboxI-Pin. One more chapter then onto the Reborn thing which has to do with the Lambo being one of six Guardians, his Maman, and his birthday.**

* * *

"Hey, Lambo!" some boys called out after the curly haired kid who was surrounded by giggling girls.

"Hm?" Lambo hummed, turning to them among his sea of admirers. "What is it?" He asked coolly while running a hand through his hair and making the girls squeal (no one noticed, but their high-pitched squeaks made the Lambo flinch).

"Well," One of the boys said, all of them bowing their heads, feeling inferior to Lambo's supreme popularity despite his stupidity and mediocre athleticism. It wasn't that Lambo didn't have physical prowess, it was just he was too lazy to use it especially since his Mama always discouraged him from showing off too much during his early years. "It was just that, the five of us were going to hold a group date with some girls, but they're refusing to go unless you come. I know we don't talk to you much, but could you please tag along?"

Lambo raised an eyebrow before sharply asking, "Why should I?"

The boys winced. They didn't expect such a coarse reply. "You see," Another one piped up. "Tanaka really likes this girl, but her friends say the group date is only on if we got you to come along. We're a bit afraid it might be his only chance to approach her, will you please help us out? We'll do something for you in return."

"Takoyaki."

"…Huh?"

Lambo glowered at the cluster of males. "Wherever we all go on this date, get me takoyaki! Or any sort of food will be good."

The group of male students' eyes brightened. "Wow, really?" "Thanks, Lambo!" "You're awesome, man!" "Here's the info!" One guy said, handing Lambo a paper with the day, the time, and place scribbled on it. "Thanks again, see ya!" Then the guys were off.

Lambo stared at the paper and groaned. "What have I gotten myself into?"

The girls around him all whined.

"Lambo-kun's going on a group date?"

"I wanna go too!"

"Don't let anyone seduce you, Lambo-kun!"

* * *

Fuuta couldn't stop laughing. Lambo's face was red with both anger and embarrassment. Out of all the predicted reactions, he hadn't imagined this to be one of them. Eventually the man's hoots and howls slowed and the tears creeping out his eyes were wiped away though the pain in his stomach stuck around for a while.  
"S-Sorry…" The twenty year-old muttered, regaining his composure. "It's just you're so stupid." Then glancing around for any sign of the other two Guardians that lived in the house, Fuuta leaned into Lambo and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I wouldn't be mad about something like that since you're doing someone a favor. Don't be so worried."

Lambo huffed and looked away. "Don't do that in the wide open. They could come in here at any time and see." He squirmed nervously on the couch.

Fuuta exhaled and nodded. "You're right, sorry." Then he spent a single second in thought. "But," he blurted. "Why do we even have to hide it? Why can't we tell them?"

Now it was Lambo's turn to laugh hysterically. "Are you serious?" He said, slapping Fuuta on the back. "No way! First off, our ages. Though my birthday isn't _that_ far away, we'll still have a gap large enough for people to disapprove. Not only that, but it's awkward since you're my childhood friend and all…" A pause. "Besides, if they knew, they would become suspicious around you and it'd be harder to be alone with you." Lambo said, blushing and his glazed eyes fixed on the floor.

Fuuta could feel his self-restraint crumbling away. "L-L-Lambo!" His body trembled with desire. He reached out to pull the boy close, but found himself grabbing onto nothing as Lambo expertly evaded the hug and Gokudera entered the room.

"Hey, you two!" He called out. "What's up?"

Fuuta's face fell with disappointment while Lambo twiddled his thumbs saying, "Nothing. We were just going to my room to study. Please don't disturb us. My concentration is a valuable thing and shouldn't be broken, Hato-nii." Lambo entwined his fingers with Fuuta's. "Come on."

Fuuta swallowed, hoping several things in his head at once. Then, in a zombie-like form, he was led to Lambo's room by the curly-haired boy's dainty hand.

As Gokudera watched them go off, he promised himself that he would check up on them in a few minutes. Fuuta was officially suspicious. The two could not be left alone.

* * *

"Lambo?"

"I-Pin-chan?"

The two shouted at each other, shocked by their friend's presence at the group date.

"Whoa!" One of the boys shouted. "You know her?"

Lambo nodded. "She's an old friend." He sadly noted the fact that the word 'friend' visibly dulled I-Pin's spirits. Seeing her dismayed face made his heart clench.

One of the guys stood on his toes and whispered into Lambo's ear, "Dude! That's the chick Tanaka likes! You should totally hook them up!" When the guy pulled away, he gave Lambo a thumbs up. Meanwhile, Lambo saw a girl say something under her breath to I-Pin as well.

Lambo rolled his eyes and once again asked himself why he had decided to go through with this.

"Alright!" A petite girl said while eying Lambo. "What should we do first?"

The ten teens scanned the towering rides of the amusement park, as well as the stretch of game booths and concession kiosks.

"No idea, there's so much stuff…" One boy murmured.

"Ooh!" A girl shouted. "Look at that cute stuffed animal!"

"The panda?"

"Yeah! Someone win it for me, will you?" She squealed. Some of the boys started bragging about their skills at those types of games as the crowd moved towards the booth. Lambo found himself uninterested and stayed in place, looking over at the brightly colored scene. I-Pin had stayed behind too, both watching as their friends moved further and further away.

"Some dude here likes you." Lambo stated blatantly after feeling as though something should be said.

"A girl named Hitomi here likes you. And you should remember the names of your friends, Lambo."

They didn't look at each other as they spoke. Lambo shrugged. "Can you really call them friends? I'm here because I pitied him."

"That's cruel. If you don't enjoy someone's company, don't go near them, idiot."

"I guess, but if you're going to reject the guy—"

"Who said I would?" I-Pin snapped making Lambo look at her, astonished. They held this gaze for a few moments.

"Lambo-san!" One of the other kids called from the game booth where the girls were giggling and motioning for I-Pin to join them.

Lambo mindlessly started heading over with I-Pin treading behind, burning holes in his back with her glare.

* * *

"Haha! Lambo-san, you're surprisingly good at that kind of stuff, huh?" One male laughed, patting Lambo on the back.

Lambo blushed and looked away. "It's because one of my guardians taught how to pitch though I had absolutely no interest in baseball." He then had a traumatic flashback to his younger days when Yamamoto tried to play catch with him like a good big brother. It didn't end well. "Oh yeah, don't think I haven't forgotten that you guys owe me food."

The guys laughed. "Right, right!" "Of course you wouldn't forget!" "At this point, we thought you were just a buddy doing us a favor!"

Lambo flinched at the words. Right, buddies…

Hitomi wrapped her arms around Lambo's and asked, "Hey, do you want to go on the Ferris wheel? Just us two?"

The boys wolf whistled and quietly made jokes. At the same time, I-Pin could feel her skin prickle, she turned to Tanaka. "Us too." She demanded. "Let's go on the Ferris wheel together."

There weren't any replies, the four just started walking in the direction of the ride, Lambo's expression listless and indifferent while I-Pin wore one of determination.

Once they got to the doors of one the cars, Lambo stared inside then down at the girl on his arm then around his back to see I-Pin and Tanaka waiting for their turn to get inside one of the enclosed cars. Without thinking too hard about it, Lambo pushed Hitomi away from him, a small shout coming from her, and pulled I-Pin to him. "Sorry." He said monotonously to Tanaka. "I'll have to borrow her for a minute." He went into the Ferris wheel car and closed the door. The Ferris wheel moved a bit so that the next car came down.

"Wait!" Tanaka called out after them though he knew it was too late. "No fair, Lambo! You asshole!"

Hitomi matched his feelings. "That jerk! How could he?" The two finding that their newfound hatred for Lambo being a commonality, entered the next car together and began to hit it off. So, don't worry, they weren't _too_ upset.

* * *

The enormous wheel moved slowly, allowing each car to get a full view of the park's lights twinkling in the night's elongated shadow. Lambo sat inside the car on small bench directly across from I-Pin (Ew, prepositions).

"For some reason," Lambo said drearily. "I couldn't stand the idea of you being alone with that guy."

I-Pin's cheeks tinted pink. "O-oh."

A short break in his speech. "You won't know what I mean by this, because it's a secret." Lambo finally said. "But that was an extremely selfish thing for me to do. Not just because he liked you, but…" He bit his bottom lip. "I'm sorry."

"A secret?" I-Pin asked. "Don't hold any secrets from me, Lambo! You can tell me anything, remember?"

His hand, he couldn't hold it back. He gently rubbed her cheek before cupping it and forcing her to look into his eyes. "You're so precious to me, I-Pin. That's why I can't tell you."

Her heart beat rapidly. She couldn't tell if the tears were cause by what he had said or her face heating up. She wanted to say it, but if she did would he say it back to her? No. She told herself. There's no way. Something was in the way. Something…

* * *

"So, how was it? Did you cheat on me?" Fuuta snickered laying Lambo's bed with his shirt on the floor and pants unzipped.

With his shirt unbuttoned, Lambo straddled the man underneath him. He scoffed and put his hands on his hips. "If you're going to say something stupid like that, I can stop, y'know?"

"No, no! I didn't mean it." The brown-haired man leaned up and gave his lover a quick kiss then smiled. "You're so cute."

Lambo's heart was going mad, he wanted to say it. And it was the most warming feeling in the world for him to know that he would hear it back.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

**(A Short, Pointless) Omake: A Request for I-Pin**

"Delivery Girl!" A girl whined, bursting into the ramen shop. "Please do us a favor!"

"Huh? Wh-What?" I-Pin sputtered, shocked by the sudden clamor made by a swarm of young ladies that had poured into the shop.

"We have this group date thing going on and we're getting this guy from our school to come, but one of the other guys going says that the dates not on unless you come along to. We said you'd definitely be there without a second thought, so… please attend the date!" The group of girls bowed, all evidently shaking.

I-Pin smiled and told them to not be so formal. "Let's not be strangers." She said. "Sure, I'll go, but you'll have to call me by my name, okay? It's I-Pin."

"I-Pin-chan, got it! Thank you very much, I-Pin-chan! Let's exchange numbers and I'll text you the info."

* * *

**Note: Tanaka is the boy's _last_ name and Hitomi is the girl's _first_ name. They got generic names because I didn't care they were only in the fic for five sentences. xD**

**But also, it just shows that I-Pin is on better terms with girls her age then Lambo is with boys his age.**


	10. Lambo And!

**A/N: Yo, wassup, reader? This chapter is just a series of unrelated sorts showing the relationship between 15 year-old Lambo and other characters. My favorite ones are ****Yamamoto's, Gokudera's, Hana's, Ryohei's, and Iemitsu's. And Shamal's which references to some stuff that's going to be discussed later lol xD**

**I thought of doing one for Varia and Mukuro/Chrome, but I couldn't come up with any reason for them to be in contact with Lambo. But I think the idea of Bel and Lambo meeting and their brattiness clashing is hilarious. And the title of this chapter is in reference to the series Yotsubato by Kazuhiko Azuma. =D**

**More term stuff: Waka = kind of like young master or something. Aniki = big brother or a way to refer to your superior when in the yakuza. Aneki = big sister.**

* * *

_Gokudera_

A long sting of smoke curled into the air. It was enticing, the deadly gas twisting gracefully almost making it hard to believe that such a soft air could kill. Smoking wasn't something Lambo always thought was cool, he saw it as something you had to pull off. The person had to make it look cool, which meant that that was just a cool person despite the despicable act. And Gokudera made it look cool.

With his hair in ponytail, Gokudera lazed around on the patio with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and the first few buttons of his shirt undone.

"Ah, on April days like this, staying outside feels pretty good." Gokudera said languidly. "I just want to stay like this all day."

Lambo coughed. Gokudera's eyes went half-lidded. He put his cigarette out and looked at Lambo, who blinked back at him before clearing his throat.

"Sorry." was all the silver-haired man managed to say.

* * *

_Yamamoto_

With his usual smile spread across his face, Yamamoto sat in silence. His head rested against the wall as he sat on the sofa. His closed eyes opened and he could see it. His sword, leaning against a far off wall. He had been training with it earlier and must've been too lazy to put it away. His thoughts then went to the Shigure Souen Style, the doomed sword forms. He felt guilty for not having someone to pass it on to, but something in him felt that one day, a worthy successor would surely come along.

"Hey, Take-nii," Lambo said, picking up Yamamoto's sword. "Want me to put this away for you?"

Yamamoto stared at Lambo for a long time making the boy feel uneasy.  
"No way." Yamamoto told himself, laughing. "It'd never happen."

Lambo raised an eyebrow. "Wh-What?"

* * *

_Tsuna_

"Aniki," Lambo whined, laying on Tsuna's desk.

"Get off of there." Tsuna commanded. "You're messing everything up."

"Aniki," Lambo moaned, hitting his head against the wall.

"Don't do that. You'll damage your brain further."

"Aniki," Lambo threw himself onto a bookcase that covered one of the office walls.

"What are you doing in here?" Tsuna finally asked. "And I told you to stop calling me that."

"Goodness, Fine. Vongola~"

"Stop it!" Tsuna said, blushing. "Don't say that either, they both sound so mafia-like…"

"…That's 'cause we're in the mafia, Vongola Aniki."

"Stop!"

Lambo laughed and sat in Tsuna's spinning chair while the man arranged the books that had fallen when Lambo tossed himself onto them. "You know, Tsuna-nii," Lambo said coolly. "I call you Aniki not just because you're my superior."

Tsuna turned to him with startled eyes. "Lambo, you…"

"I'll never call you that again, Vongola." Lambo said with a straight face. "Hey~ when I get older, can I have the Famiglia?"

A vein pulsed on Tsuna's head. "What are you doing in here?"

* * *

_Hibari_

Hibari stretched and yawned, considering whether or not to go looking for situations where he could impose his ideas of justice onto the innocent.

"Chairman-san!" A teacher said, dragging Lambo in principal's office by the ear. "This boy here is becoming intolerable! Please do something about this!"

Lambo pulled the guy's hands away from him. "Gross~ Don't touch me you grimy old man…"

His eyes fell on Hibari, draining his body of all its color. "W-wait, teach, I'm sorry I said all those things, just please don't leave me here for him to deal with me! I'm not a fan of pain!"

The instructor merely smirked before disappearing out of the large, but incredibly dark office. Lambo gulped, his feet suddenly feeling like 100-ton weights. He couldn't stop shivering as he watched a sick smile slowly creep across the principal's face.

* * *

_Fuuta & I-Pin_

"You can do it, Lambo!" Fuuta cheered from the sidelines as Lambo tucked and rolled away from an attack.

I-Pin leapt into the air and performed a masterful spinning kick. Lambo bent back, just barely avoiding it. He pulled three grenades from the inside of his shirt, having learned how to hide grenades in the same style Gokudera figured out to hide dynamite. He rolled them on the ground towards the flipping and kicking girl. She chuckled when she hopped away from them only to see that they didn't go off. During this short time of amusement, Lambo saw the opening and attacked. His fist surged forward, but I-Pin easily pushed it out the way. Again this happened. Again. Again. Again. I-Pin pushed his fist out of the way, but then was granted the chance to grab the boy's wrist. She clenched onto it and spun, swinging him over her shoulder and to the ground. He let out a cry of pain then rolled away from his opponent, smearing away the blood on his lips.

"Go, I-Pin!" Fuuta called out, rooting for both, though he noticeably made more encouraging exclaims to Lambo.

Lambo exhaled deeply, then charged towards I-Pin. The girl crossed her arms defensively, preparing for a hit from his fists, head, or feet. But as he rushed towards her, he pulled out his horns and prepared with thunder set. I-Pin gasped and, knowing what was coming next, back-flipped away, repeatedly doing so until she skid to a stop when Lambo was out of range to hit her with the Elettrico Cornata. Her face scrunched up when she realized he hadn't begun to use it and didn't seem like he was actually planning on doing so, that's when she spotted the smirk on his face. I-Pin tensed, looking to her feet. There were the grenades that didn't go off earlier! He had tricked her to force her to return to that spot. She tried to jump away, but they "went off." A series of confetti and strings popped out from the small weapons making I-Pin groan.

"Hah!" Lambo jeered. "If this were a real battle, you'd be dead! I win!"

Fuuta clapped. "That's the Vongola's Lightning Guardian for you!"

I-Pin crossed her arms. "Oh please, Lambo! I was going easy on you because I didn't want to kill you!"

"Yeah, right!" Lambo laughed.

"Yeah, I _am_ right! Think about it. Back there when I took your wrist and flipped you, I could've easily used the Haisangen on you but I didn't 'cause it'd kill you!"

Lambo put a finger to his mouth and looked back on the sparring. "Goodness… you _are_ right. Oops."

Fuuta chuckled. "Don't worry, Lambo, you'll get better."

Lambo nodded. "Right!" He looked to the sky. "I'll become even more worthy of my title!"

* * *

_Collonello & Lal Mirch_

Standing with a map in each of their hands was a man a woman that Lambo vaguely knew. The woman had blue hair and a scar on her face and the man had blond hair and an eagle perched on his shoulder.

'Collonello of the Acrobaleno and Lal Mirch, the ex-Acrobaleno. What are they doing?' He asked himself, peeking at them from behind a corner of the Vongola headquarters.

Lal Mirch heard a noise that made her turn in Lambo's direction, spotting him immediately.

"Look," She said. "It's the Lightning Guardian."

"Really, hey?" Collonello said, peeping at the spying Lambo who just recognized he had been caught. "Come here, hey." The blond demanded.

Nervously, Lambo approached them, disliking the height difference. "Wh-what is it?"

"We're not used to this base, because usually we're at that one in Italy, hey. It's to the point where we have to bring a map with us, but we still can't find this place, hey. And hurry. It's an emergency, hey." Collonello said.

"An emergency?" Lambo yelled. "Really? What kind? Can I help?"

Lal Mirch punched him on the top of his head. "Shut it! Just tell us where this place is!"

Lambo rubbed his injury. "Tol…erate… I just wanted to stop an attack on the family or something!"

"Huh?" Collonello muttered. "Oh, it's nothing like that, hey. We just need to find the bathroom because Lal is on her per—" He was hit mid-sentence.

Lambo's face turned just as red as Lal's did. "You're saying too much, you idiot!" She shouted at Collonello while shoving the map in Lambo's face. "Now show us where it is!"

Lambo nodded and began leading the hurt Collonello and flustered Lal to the women's restroom.

* * *

_Dino_

"Hello, Dino-san," Lambo said as he was making his way to the gates of his school. "What are you doing here?"

Dino smiled and waved at him. "I was here to pick up Kyoya. I'll be in Japan for a little while so we were planning going somewhere tonight."

Lambo blinked. "I can't believe you actually hang out with Hibari-san. Just being in the same room with him is difficult for me."

Dino laughed lightly. "Yeah, it is for most people, but I think I might be special."

Lambo gazed up at Dino for a few moments making the man ask if something was on his face. Lambo shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just... you're very amazing Dino-san. You choose to be around a menace like Hibari-san, you run a huge mafia family very efficiently while rarely being thrown off-beat, and you do well in battle. Not to mention, you're super nice and people love you. You just sort of… shine."

"I do?" Dino asked almost modestly (_**almost**_). In that single second, Lambo felt like an unbearable brightness was gleaming from Dino's core, lighting up the whole area. Passersby glanced at them, possibly seeing the same brilliant glow.

"Goodness!" Lambo exclaimed. "You are tremendously amazing, Aniki!"

"Eh? Aniki?"

"I look up to you! I want to be like you when I get as _**old**_ as you!"

"Hey…"

"You're a true idol!"

"Idiot!" Hibari snarled, tapping Lambo harshly on the head. Lambo grimaced and softly glared at the raven-haired man. Hibari stood next to Dino and pointed at the blond. "This guy is no role model."

"Hey, Kyoya!" Dino shouted earning a hit from Hibari.

"He's stupid," Hibari said. "And a loudmouth and shameful and perverted and frustrating and really easy to hate. His sense of justice is warped and he never does as he's told. If I see that you start acting like him, I'll beat you to a pulp and make you regret ever holding him in high regard."

"How mean!" Dino complained. He pat Lambo's shoulder. "You know none of that's true, right, Lambo-kun?"

Lambo looked at Dino's dazzling features then to Hibari's angry, gloomy ones and back and forth and back and forth and back and…!

He stepped away, so that his back was facing the two. "I don't want to answer!" He shrieked, bounding off.

"You scared him for no reason." Dino sighed.

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you." Hibari stated honestly.

"He's a kid." Dino said.

Hibari scoffed and looked to the ground. "Yeah, but I still…" his voice trailed off.

Dino reached to hug Hibari, but was smacked in the jaw.

"Students are still here. Do you seriously think I'll allow you to touch me?" The ruthless principal barked.

* * *

_Ryohei_

Lambo cracked his knuckles as he sat cross-legged on the screened patio's sofa. April was so peaceful. He laid down on the elegant outdoor couch. It only took the slight sound of the quiet rustling trees. It wasn't wind. Something was out there. Within a flash it was inside.

Lambo sat up, narrowly escaping the punch that left a hole through the furniture. Ryohei pulled his hand out of the sofa and grinned. "**Extremely** good job!" he roared. "You were able to avoid it! It was probably because I accidentally made a bit of noise out there."

The next attack had less warning, but Lambo was able to jump out of the way more easily since he could now see his challenger.

Ryohei hissed. "Oh, that reaction could've been faster!" He swiped his hand down, aiming to elbow Lambo in the stomach. Lambo side-stepped the strike and slammed his foot into a glass table on the porch, then ducked and picked up a piece of the broken glass.

Ryohei projected a punch Lambo's face, but Lambo pushed the assault away using the flat side of his new weapon, then put it to Ryohei's throat. They froze in that position, sweat leaking down Ryohei's face. He slowly pulled back, then slapped Lambo hard on the back repetitively.

"You did well yet again, so next time, I'll go even harder on ya, okay?"

Lambo groaned. "No, Ryo-chan! Please no more of these '**Extreme** Training Pop Quizzes' or whatever you call your random attacks! They're very troubling!"

"As the youngest Guardian, Lambo, you need to become adept at being alert and staying on your toes! Enemies will frequently come after you, seeing you as the weakest, but we'll show'em that you're not! You'll be our equivalent!" Ryohei said proudly. "You're a kid, but you should, no, are required to have the strength of us adults!"

Lambo mouthed most of the words of Ryohei's lecture, having heard it every other week or so. "Sure, sure, whatever! But you're paying for the furniture!"

"Shit! We **extremely** destroyed it!"

* * *

_Hana_

Tea with Hana always seemed to calm Lambo down. She was a mature adult with lots of truthful things to say. She sometimes gave him advice and sometimes scolded him when he did something wrong. The woman didn't have a very motherly feel to her, but it wasn't quite a friendly one either. She was kind of like an insightful… aunt.

"Aneki," Lambo said, sipping at his tea thoughtfully. "Ryo-chan is so loud and brutish, how did you end up with him?"

Hana looked up, thinking, then back into her cup, taking a sip and ignoring Lambo's question completely.

"H-hey…" He murmured, realizing that that must be how she reacted to embarrassing questions.

"Did I ever tell you," Hana began. "that you remind of someone I liked a very long time ago?"

Lambo recalled such a thing and said, "Yes, you did. Now, you're not going to chase me around and throw poisonous food at me, are you?"

Hana raised an eyebrow. "No. What kind of weird question is that?"

Lambo's own face twisted with confusion. "I don't know. I have some vague strange memory of something like that happening to me…"

Hana frowned. "Sometimes I wonder what those guys are exposing you to…"

* * *

_Shouichi, Spanner, & Giannini_

"Shouichi, pass me that wrench, will you?" Spanner asked while slaving over some new machine. Shouichi nodded and handed it to him while looking over the blue prints for that machine. Giannini stroked his forehead with the back of his hand while slaving over the blue prints for the next new machine. After the issue with Millefiore, when Tsuna came back to the past and took his place of boss of the Vongola, he met Shouichi while trying to fix his bike. They became friends and Shouichi eventually chose to join the Vongola. Not too long after his meeting with Shouichi, Tsuna was reminded of a certain lollipop-sucking mechanic who he'd met in a non-existent future. He then went looking for Spanner, wishing for the friend that he's technically never met. When he found the man, who Shouichi had conveniently knew through University, Reborn recruited him by tempting the mechanic with the tools to create any machine he wanted. Of course, Spanner accepted.

Lambo busted open the door to the mechanics' workplace. "Yo!" He hollered brazenly. "Even though I don't really use it anymore, I noticed that something's wrong with the Ten Year Bazooka. Fix it." He tossed the weapon onto the ground in front of them.

"How rude." Spanner retorted.

"That's not how you ask for something, waka." Shouichi said.

"You need to learn how to be more polite." Giannini told the pouting teen.

"Whatever. Will you repair it or not?"

All three mechanics felt the sweat dripping from their chins. The Ten Year Bazooka, an interesting piece of machinery that caused a lot of things without them fully knowing the extent of their missing experiences with the Vongola. They shook with anticipation just by looking at the item. What a mystery.

They all drooped their heads. "F-Fine!"

Spanner grabbed the Ten Year Bazooka. "Let's put our current project on pause and work on this, I'm really curious!"

Shouichi took the weapon. "Apparently, I used this technology to help Tsuna-san save the world. Maybe I'll have some bizarre recollection of how it works."

Giannini grabbed the bazooka from the other man. "Wait! I want to see it first! Last time I tried modifying this, I really messed up! To gain my honor back I must try again!"

A fire ignited within the three, all giving each other evil looks.

Lambo crept towards the door. "All right, I leave it to you robot-junky nerds! See ya!"

* * *

_Kyoko & Bianchi_

"Lambo," Bianchi said. "Lately, you've growing into a fine young man… with a face that I just so happen to hate."

"Uh," Lambo muttered. "Th-thanks?"

"Where do you want to go shopping today, Lambo-kun?" Kyoko asked, her warm smile erasing away Bianchi's ice-cold comments.

Lambo felt like basking in the warmth. "Kind of reminds me of Maman…"

"Hurry it up," Bianchi barked. "Where will it be?"

"Armani~"

Bianchi knocked him on the back of his head. "Spoiled brat! Always getting whatever you want!"

"Bianchi-nee, I've noticed that your hostility towards me has become erratic." Lambo said looking up at her with shimmering eyes, reminding her of the pathetic Lambo that used to chase 'tail-head' around screaming "Broccoli Monster! Broccoli Monster!"

She teared up as she hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Lambo-chan!"

Lambo's eye twitched. "And your kindness towards me as well has become…"

"Then let's go." Kyoko said, taking Lambo's hand. Her face was bright as she said, "We'll get you some nice clothes, okay, Lambo-chan?"

Lambo's heart melted.

_"You have to cut that hair, Lambo-chan."_

_"Did you take a bath, Lambo-chan? You're dirty!"_

_"And promise to visit me in Italy plenty, okay, Lambo-chan?"_

"Yes, Kyoko-chan!" Lambo said excitedly while thinking, 'It's like having my own little piece of Maman right here!'

* * *

_Dr. Shamal_

In the next room, I-Pin was being treated for minor injuries she suffered at a training session with Lambo.

Lambo nervously tapped his fingers on a nearby coffee table.

"She'll be better in a moment." Dr. Shamal said, coming through the doors of the room and removing some latex gloves to throw them away. He looked up and down Lambo who had his own fair amount of cuts and bruises. "You're a very pretty boy. Not pretty enough to make me think you're a girl and heal you, but pretty nonetheless."

Lambo's face creased at this remark. "What an odd thing to say!"

Shamal laughed. "I agree, but it is also the truth!" He sat next to Lambo making the boy shift uncomfortably. "Hey, hey…" The scruffy man whispered. "You must have a girlfriend, right?"

Images of Fuuta flashed through Lambo's mind making his whole body glow red. "Uh… yeah."

"Is it…?" Shamal motioned to the room, indicating he was talking about I-Pin.

Lambo shook his head. "N-No…"

Shamal pat the curly-haired boy on the back again. "A guy as good-looking as you! I've bet you've gone far with your girl, huh?"

Images of his moments of intimacy with Fuuta flashed through Lambo's mind making the red deepen. "W-Well, I mean, w-we haven't done _**that**_ yet, but…"

"See! I knew it!" Shamal said smugly. "But what about your _exes_? I bet you're not a virgin!"

"So, what if I'm not?" Lambo blurted angrily, immediately covering his mouth right after he spoke. "No, I didn't mean to…"

Shamal's eyes softened and gestured for the boy to calm down. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone."

Lambo hesitantly unruffled himself and relaxed a bit.

"Your birthday is coming up, isn't it?" Shamal asked.

"Yes." Lambo answered solemnly, still recovering from unintentionally revealing a secret. "Next month."

"You and you're girlfriend are saving it for then, aren't you?"

"W-Wah! How did you know?" Lambo asked, nearly falling out of his chair from disbelief.

"I'm just good at this type of stuff." Shamal said with a grin and a shine in his eyes. Lambo felt sickened.

I-Pin then came out of the room that she was healing in. "I'm done, Uncle. Thank you very much."

Shamal bowed to her. "Of course, I-Pin-chan! Anything for you! Come back absolutely any time you want!" He blew her kiss making her flinch.

Lambo grumbled, "I don't know whether to feel disgust, pity, or admiration towards his persistence…"

The two teens were waving goodbye and walking out the door when Shamal suddenly pulled Lambo back and whispered in his ear, "Oh, an make sure your 'girlfriend' wears a condom 'cause I'm not checking them for any diseases _there_!"

Lambo fainted.

* * *

_Kusakabe, Mochida, & members of CEDEF (Basil & Oregano)_

"Eh? It's Tetsu-chan and some CEDEF." Lambo noted, stopping in the hall of the base, finding it strange to see Kusakabe, Mochida, Basil, and Oregano all chatting.

"The Lightning Guardian." Kusakabe said. "What's up?"

"Nothing really. What are you guys discussing?" Lambo asked curiously.

The group all looked to each other and smiled.

"Nothing." Basil said innocently.

"Are you excited about your birthday, Lambo-san?" Oregano asked politely.

Lambo dug into his ear. "Huh? Yeah, I guess."

"Waka, you are acting very rude." Mochida growled. "I must ask you to cease with this behavior."

Lambo flicked his picked ear wax in Mochida's direction. "Pfft! What makes you think you have the right to tell me what to do?"

Kusakabe had to hold Mochida back from attacking the boy.

"Oh yeah~" Lambo said as though recalling something important. "Basil-chan, would you get me something to drink? Preferably something milk-based like coffee or a latte."

"Yes, Lambo-dono!" Basil ran off on a hunt for something to quench Lambo's thirst.

"Hey!" Mochida shouted. "Don't treat Basil-kun as your slave!"

"I didn't." Lambo said, marking an X on his heart. "I never do. I swear. It just so happens that I tell him to do stuff and he does it."

"This runt…" Mochida said through grit teeth.

Lambo then turned around, silencing the group that had been gossiping earlier. A large bruise could be seen on the visible part his neck. The discoloration clearly led down his back. "Well, I'm off." He said. "I need to do more training. I'm not strong enough yet. Tell Basil to bring my drink to the training room." He stretched, bones cracking and an old wound reopening causing blood to leak from his sleeves. Afraid of making the others worry, he covered it with his other hand and ran off. But they saw.

Later on that day, Oregano, Basil, Mochida, and Kusakabe all brought Lambo several drinks.

* * *

_Iemitsu_

Lambo lied on his bed, mind rewinding time back to when he would spend every happy day with Nana and Iemitsu. His cell phone rang and within a split second he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Lambo-chan? It's Papa."

"Papa?" Lambo exclaimed. "Really? Why are you calling me?"

"I knew your birthday was coming up and just wanted to hear your voice."

"Papa… I'm so happy. I miss you guys a lot. People don't let me do anything around here!"

"Ah, I'll have to talk to everyone about that then, haha!"

"Seriously! I saw this cute Japanese imperial pistol from like 1934 and Hato-nii didn't let me get it 'cause he said it'd just end up as trash like everything else on my floor! I know you would've gotten it for me, Papa!"

"Yeah! How dare that Gokudera! You might never see that gun again!"

"Exactly! Ugh, I want to go back to Italy and to visit Germany with you again."

"L-Lambo-chan…!" If Iemistu could've, he would've hugged Lambo. "Papa misses you! He's got to go, but tell Tsuna and Basil hello for him, okay?"

"Okay, Papa-chan. Bye."

"Bye, oh, and Lambo-chan! I shouldn't tell you this, but I wanted to let you know that you'll definitely **love** your birthday present!"

"Hm?" but Iemitsu had already hung up. "My birthday present… what could it be?"

* * *

**(Foreboding) Omake: Reborn's Mission**

His bloody orbs looked as though they would pop out of their sockets in the skull. Reborn laughed a little, trying to hold it in.

"Tsuna's going to be pissed that I killed so many, but my instinct as an assassin came out when you all rushed me like that." Finally, after tightening his grip on the man's throat just right, the person in his grasp went limp, becoming a corpse. His fierce eyes cut across the room, piercing through a shivering figure on the floor. He dropped the body and strode to the scared sack of flesh attempting to crawl from him.

"Oh." He said straight-forwardly. "You're the one I was originally meant to get rid of." He squatted down so that his victim could see all of his blood soaked face other than the parts shadowed by his hat. "You see, my boss sent me out to whack you, because your little group here has murdered **a lot** of innocent people since as a new mafia group, you've made a lot of **dumb** mistakes. It's been causing tons of chaos in _our_ underground world. Now see, I wasn't supposed to knock off as many of your buddies as I did. Sorry. But it doesn't really matter since you'll be joining them."

The victim could feel their blood turn cold as the barrel of the gun stared him right in the face.

Reborn smirked. "Die."

Then a scream and a bang. And it began.

* * *

**All the cogs are set in motion. Next chapter, it begins. (Oh, and review please :D)**


	11. Hppy Brthdy, Lmb!

**A/N: Wassup, reader? Thanks for readin'! :D I feel like no matter how many times I look over this chapter, I won't feel like it's finished. I don't know. It's weird. And sorry ^^; Usually I update faster, but I've had this chapter in my Document Manager for a while, but I am just now putting it up. **

* * *

"Again!" Dino commanded. "This time I want headshots only!"

Lambo groaned and lifted his gun, aiming at the moving dummies that was roughly 2 kilometers away. A series of blasts followed. 9x19mm Parabellum bullets zipped through the dummies' heads at first, then as Lambo went on, their necks were shot and then, even worse, their shoulders. Sometimes he would even miss.

"Damn," Lambo cursed under his breath.

Dino shook his head. "You were doing well earlier."

"Of course." Lambo said. "We've been doing this all day! I'm tired and this getting lame and boring!"

Dino could feel himself getting irritated. "Training is going to be lame and boring, but you're not good enough yet so you need to keep working."

"I don't wanna. I love guns, grenades, and bazookas as much as the next guy, probably even more than the next guy, but I don't want to spend six hours shooting them off at target that won't stay fucking still." Out pure aggravation, Lambo shot at one of the dummy's mechanical wiring, making it crackle with electricity before exploding.

Giannini cried out loud as though he was stabbed. "No! My baby!"

"Lambo!" Dino said angrily. "That mannequin cost a lot of money and was specially made to simulate—"

"Shut up, I don't care! I'm done. Mochida!" Lambo yelled, grabbing his things and storming out the room.

Mochida rolled his eyes. "Yes, waka?"

"I'm going to hang out with my friends. Drive me there." Lambo demanded, shamelessly showing his anger.

"Yessir." Mochida sighed, following behind Lambo to the car before driving off.

"That kid…" Giannini grumbled, fighting back tears.

"I thought I'd do him a favor by honing his skills while I'm here, but he just doesn't listen. All he does is laze around and expect himself to get stronger." Dino said. "He's probably never been put through _real_ training! Tsuna doesn't even send him out to complete simple tasks."

"Subordinates do more work than he does!"

"He still runs around and goofs off when he should be polishing his proficiency every chance he has!"

"Can he really call himself a Guardian?"

"Somehow, yes. He may be a whiny brat who gets way too much leeway when it comes to how he spends his money and talks to those above him, but he most certainly belongs amongst the Vongola Guardians."

"Eh? Really? I don't see it…"

* * *

"Oh, Lambo-kun, you're so beautiful!" One girl exclaimed, holding onto Lambo's arm. "You should be a model!"

Another girl agreed while looking at more clothing. She picked out a black vest. "Oh! This will look really good on you, Lambo-kun!"

"You can make anything look good!"

"You're so lovely! Try this on!"

Lambo faced away from the group of girls showering him with compliments and false love. "I don't want to look at clothes anymore. I want jewelry, and a new watch, and I'm hungry."

"Okay!" The females said simultaneously as they trailed Lambo on his quest for accessories and food.

* * *

Gokudera scolded him as soon as he came home. The tip of his toe gently touched the floor and that contact acted as button. Pushing it activated severe lecturing.

"Are friggin' retarded? You didn't answer your phone, you walked out on Dino coaching you, and Mochida tells me you even ran away from him when he tried to bring you here! What the fuck is wrong with you? Did you think you weren't going to get in trouble? It doesn't matter what your position is, you are still a teenager so you're going to have to do as others say! I shouldn't even let you go out anymore because you always act like this!"

"What are you talking about? You all got to do whatever you wanted when you were my age!"

"That's because we eagerly trained so that we could get stronger and protect our friends! But you're lazy!"

"I am not! I spar with I-Pin all the time."

"When you feel like it! I've heard Fuuta and I-Pin having to try and _convince_ you to spar before! Not only that but you still lose sometimes!"

"Do you expect me to be perfect?"

"I don't expect you to be, you _need_ to be!"

The hurt in Lambo's eyes was clear. Weren't they asking too much of him? All the adults around him, pressuring him to be better, to be more enthusiastic, to do as he's told. He was about sick of it. He was the only Guardian without his own faction of underlings. He seldom got assignments, and when he did, they never required him to leave Namimori or even base. He wasn't even invited to important meetings. It was always Tsuna, Ryohei, Gokuedera, and Yamamoto, occasionally even Hibari would be present, but not him! Thinking about it made the blood in his body boil. It wasn't fair. At parties though, when other families were invited, they would make sure Lambo was there. Like he was just some doll to be given a title and put on display, but serve no honest function.

"I don't even get it!" Lambo roared, unable to hold his anger in any longer. "What am I even training for? You guys keep me here, locked up! Away from any real combat or anything! You tell me to get stronger and stronger, but it wouldn't matter what I do! It's not like you'll allow me to use my strength! I don't want to work hard anymore because I know it's pointless!"

"Lambo!"

"Shut up!" Lambo's dashed to the stairs, on his way up, he paused. "I hate all you selfish adults." Then he ran to his room, slamming and locking the door.

Gokudera could only stand in the genkan, astounded.

"That went well." Yamoto laughed, approaching the scene of the argument that left Gokudera dumbfounded. He put an arm around Gokudera's shoulder and pulled him close. "You probably said too much. He's really mad."

Gokudera grabbed onto Yamamoto's shirt and pressed his cheek into his lover's chest. "I hate this. I don't even know what made him like that."

"Tons of things!" Yamamoto chuckled. "It's not that Lambo doesn't want to fight, but the issue isn't that he does either. He doesn't want to be so protected. You want him to become strong so that he can protect himself, but he wants to protect others. One way to say it, I guess, would be that our brat doesn't want to be _such_ a brat anymore."

Gokudera scoffed and muttered, "No way…" He blinked sadly. "…No way…"

* * *

"The plane departs on the day before his birthday and the day before that we'll be busy preparing for him leaving, so the party on the 25th." Gokudera said while showing Yamamoto a schedule and party plan. "And we'll be using a ballroom in order to hold so many people. Some highly esteemed guests from other families will be there."

"I heard Tsuna invited the Bovino." Yamamoto said, snickering a litte as he said it.

"I'm not sure how Lambo will react, but tenth wanted Lambo to meet his former family since he rarely saw them as a kid."

"Hmm…"

"What are you guys talking about?" Lambo asked dressed in his green satin pajamas with a croissant hanging from his mouth and a cup of coffee in his hands.

Gokudera hastily covered the papers with the plans scribbled on them. "Nothing!"

Lambo stared at him. "Ooooookaaaaaay. Weirdo." He hopped onto one of the barstools, setting his drink onto the counter. "Can some of my friends come over today?"

"Even if you didn't ask, you still would've had them come." Gokudera said.

"Damn right." Lambo replied boldly.

"Lambo, I've been meaning to ask you this," Yamamoto said. "I was wondering why most of your friends are girls."

The boy put his hand to his chin. "…They are, aren't they?"

Gokudera's mouth formed a straight line. "Y-You seriously never noticed?"

"Not really. But now that I think of it, the people I called over here today are Minami-chan, Chisuzu-chan, Kaneko-chan, and Rie-chan."

"You're popular." Yamamoto said, mind walking back to the days when girls would crowd around him. Gokudera's thought tread the same way, the memories bringing him to cringe.

"Only with the girls." Lambo said. "I think the guys might hate me. This one time I overhead them talking…

_"You guys know that Lambo kid?"_

_"Yeah, what a prick!"_

_"He stole my girlfriend!"_

_"He always gets away with not wearing the uniform!"_

_"I heard he knows the chairman. He probably gets special treatment."_

_"Not only that, but did you see the car he got picked up in?"_

_"It was super expensive! Why doesn't he just leave here and go to a private school?"_

_"Him? Leave special treatment? Yeah, right."_

…or something like that."

Gokudera grabbed Lambo's cheeks and stretched them out. "You let them talk shit about you? You should've kicked their asses!"

"Goodness, Hato-nii, that hurts…! Tol…er…ate…!"

* * *

"Mochida-tan, are you stupid? That's not the way to my house." Lambo barked from the backseat, kicking the spiky-haired man's chair.

Mochida's grip on the wheel tightened. "Why did they give me the job of watching you? Did they think I'd have the patience not to strangle you?"

"But I haven't said anything mean yet, Mochida-tan." Lambo snarled.

"Shut up, it doesn't even matter since we're here."

"See? You're the one speaking cruelly. Why are we _here_?" Lambo asked, looking up at the tall, dome building that Mochida parked outside of. They stepped of the car and got a better view of the building. It had vivid lights coming from it and was very elegantly designed.

"Come on." Mochida said, heading for the large set of double doors. Lambo jogged to catch up with him.

"Answer my question."

Mochida ignored him once more as he pushed the doors open, light flooding out of the grand ballroom filled with nicely dressed people.

Someone murmured, "Oh, he's here!"

Another whispered, "Time to say it!"

Then a collection of voices hollered, "HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY LAMBO!" The cheers and shouts. The noise nearly knocked two males in the doorway down.

Lambo could feel tears gathering in his eyes as he gazed at the grand pageantry of his party.

"Do you like the decorations, Lambo-kun?" Minami asked, clinging to him. Kaneko, Rie, and Chisuzu soon followed. "We all helped." More girls crowded around him, gossiping and giggling.

Lambo hugged some of them. "All my friends are here!"

"So many women!" I-Pin called out, putting her hands on her hips. "You dog!" she joked. Lambo hugged her too.

"I-Pin. This is great, isn't it?" Lambo asked.

I-Pin nodded. "Yep! I'm told there are tons more surprises for you!"

"But this is weird." Lambo said. "My birthday isn't for another three days. Why now?"

"You'll see!" she snickered.

Suddenly, he was pulled away and was pushing up against the recognizable warmth of another body. Whoever had grabbed him, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, "If you keep letting so many girls touch you, I'll get jealous."

The familiar voice sounded so gentle yet threatening at the same time. He didn't even have to see the face to know who it was.

"Fuuta…" He moaned, cuddling close to the man. They remained like that until Lambo heard Shamal clearing his throat. Lambo let go and greeted the doctor, who merely laughed heartily in response.

"Lambo!" Gokudera called out from a balcony that encircled the inside of the top of the done. "Come up here in a few minutes, got it?"

"Got it!" Lambo shouted back.

"Mochida!" Gokudera bellowed. "Hey, Mochida!"

"What?" The man snapped.

"Give him the thing! Th-the box with the stuff… the clothes!"

"All right, all right! Stop yelling!" Mochida dragged Lambo into a bathroom by the arm, carrying a box with him. When they got into the large, white, sparkling clean restroom, Mochida opened the box to reveal a tuxedo and cow print bow tie. "Here you go, waka. Gokudera-san wants you to change into this." Mochida left the room after that.

Lambo hurriedly and excitedly begun to change, then, halfway through, pulled out his cell phone and called Mochida.

"What?" The man barked, annoyed.

"I need help." Lambo moaned.

"Dammit!" Mochida snarled, snapping the phone closed.

The following converation would go somewhere along the lines of, "Do I put this on next...?" "No, you idiot! It's this one... I think." "Then where does this go?" "Shit. Take it all off, I think that was supposed to be put on first." "Why can't I just wear a nice suit?" "Shut up and put this on!"

* * *

Eventually, Lambo came out of the bathroom, practically shining when adorned in the smooth tux.

"He's so handsome!"

"Very suave!"

"A strapping young lad!"

Lambo strut around making small talk and humbling himself because of the extravagance he was presented with.

Ryohei approached him and smacked on the back several times, talking about how much he's grown. Haru asked him how he was and if he's behaving properly. His answer was stuttered. Kyoko nibbled on some refreshments with him and explained how she made some of them, he was amazed. Dino spoke with him about improving his stamina, but Lambo showed little interest in discussing things of the sort, so Dino switched the subject to praising the curly-haired kid, which Lambo was very fond of. Spanner gave him a lollipop and told him it was a present while Shouichi told him he wished he could've been at some of Lambo's earlier parties. Giannini jumped in and bragged about how many of them he'd been to. Shouichi really didn't care to hear it though. Bianchi spotted him and was going to shove some poison cooking in his face, but at the last second, she realized who he was. She tittered at her mistake and squeezed him lovingly.

Lambo looked long and hard for Tsuna, but couldn't find him until he felt sharp eyes fall on his back. He turned around to see Tsuna giving him a stern look. Lambo was confused. Why did Tsuna look so solemn at this magnificent event?

"Vongol—!"

"You've turned out to be a dashing young man!" An insanely deep voice behind him bellowed.

Lambo turned to the voice to see a plump man with black hair, a twisted mustache, and a cigar hanging out his mouth. The man wore a cheesy cow-print tux and, despite being in such formal attire, he sported a belt with an overly sized bull-horn belt buckle. He looked dimly familiar to Lambo.

"B…Boss?" He said uncertainly.

"So you remember!" The Bovino hugged Lambo, raising him into the air. He constricted the boy so badly that Lambo thought he'd puke up his lungs. "This is fantastic, but actually I'm not the boss anymore!" He set Lambo down and stepped aside to reveal a young man with similar flair as the ex-boss. He tall and lanky, with an uncaring look and his cigar bigger than the previous boss's.

"I am." The young man said. He was about Fuuta's age and his tone was just as indifferent as his body language insinuated.

"Ah, I remember you. Your name's Emilio. You used to bully me around a lot." Lambo said equally as lethargic as the young man.

"'sup, Crybaby Lambo?" Emilio asked, puffing on smoke.

"So, you became boss now, huh?"

"And you've become a part of the Vongola?"

"The Lightning Guardian." Lambo felt the need to add.

"_The _Lightning Guardian…"

"How's the family?"

"Good. Everyone's good."

"Good."

"I mean, not as successful as you, of course." Emilio scoffed. "The frickin' Vongola. My pops can be happy about it all he wants, but I'm disgusted by you leaving."

"Emilio!" His father retorted scornfully.

"Sorry." Lambo said. "But you're just jealous."

Emilio's eyes narrowed with anger. "You…!"

Lambo ran a hand through his hair. "You know that being the Guardian of the Vongola is _**way**_ better than being boss of that lower family."

"Lambo!" Tsuna said strictly, joining the boy's side. "That is bad-mannered even for your standards."

Lambo noticeably shrunk a bit from being yelled at by his boss in front of his former colleagues.

"I apologize for his behavior." Tsuna said, shaking the hands of ex-boss and current boss of the Bovino.

"It's fine! The boy's always been mouthy." The ex-boss said, waving incident away.

"Yes. He still acts like a child." Tsuna said frankly. "But at the same time, he expects not to be treated as one." Lambo could feel Tsuna's meaningful glimpse at him.

"Lambo!" Gokudera shouted from the second level. "It's time for you to come up here!"

Lambo smiled and shouted, "'Kay! I'll be there!" He sprinted through the crowd and rushed up the stairs, people moving apart to let him pass.

He arrived to his brother with an eager look that made Gokudera laugh.

"Hyper, aren't you?" Gokudera asked.

"Yeah! This is wonderful, Hato-nii!" Lambo said.

Yamamoto smiled. "Glad you like it. A lot of your family and friends worked hard on this."

"I-Pin and Fuuta worked especially hard. Even Mochida did his best." Gokudera told Lambo who was surprised to hear that Mochida did something nice for him. "Did you see the Bovino?"

"Yeah, I was talking to them before you called me up here." Lambo said.

"Tenth told them to come. He thought it'd be good for you."

"It was. I'm glad to see their okay." Lambo said kindly, but then he added. "More importantly I'm a bit glad to see that I'm better off than them."

Yamamoto laughed. "It's unhealthy to think that way, kiddo. Hey, we have a big announcement for you."

"Yep." Gokudera said. "But we want everyone to hear it and see your reaction!"

This scream got the attention of the whole room. "Ahem," Gokudera began. "As his guardians, Takeshi and I wanted to get Lambo something really special! We spent a lot of time coming up with what to get him and planning it out! And now, finally, we are going to reveal what we got him for his sixteenth birthday!" Gokudera then reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled one plane ticket, then handed it to Lambo.

"A plane ticket to France?" He looked to Gokudera. "What the-? Why only one? I'm going by myself? That doesn't seem like much fun."

Gokudera nodded. "True, true. The plane ride there all by yourself will probably be a little boring, but I'm sure reaching Maman and Papa in France will be well worth—" He was tackled to the ground by Lambo. The room burst into laughter.

"A trip to France with Maman? You're kidding, right? This is awesome! You're the best!" Lambo shouted, rubbing his head against Gokudera's chest with his arms enfolding the man's neck.

Gokudera pushed the boy off. "You idiot! That was embarrassing! Besides it wasn't just me who planned this! Yamamoto and the tenth did too!"

Lambo glanced at Yamamoto who was grinning like a fool. "Thanks, Take-nii." He said bluntly.

"That's it?" Yamamoto chortled.

"Where's Vongola?" Lambo asked the horde of people, leaning over the railing of the balcony. They all turned to one another and rumored about the boss's disappearance.

* * *

Hibari leaned against the dome wall that was now pulsating with the throng of Italian music, the noise of an accordion vibrating through the floor.

"Don't worry," he said. "You made the right decision."

Tsuna stepped out from the shadows to let himself be seen by Hibari. "Shouldn't I tell him _now_?"

"I didn't think you were one to ruin a child's good mood, Vongola." Hibari said with a smirk.

"You're right. It'd be a mistake to tell him now."

"Worried about your mother?"

"Knowing Lambo, he won't let her even a kilometer near danger. He's not a baby anymore."

"I don't think there's a single person within the Vongola who've realized that yet." Hibari said. He started striding off.

"Hibari," Tsuna called out. The man stopped on the spot. "Did _you_ get Lambo a present?"

Hibari only smirked and continued on his way.

* * *

The next day appeared painstakingly ordinary. In the morning he had training with Dino who was heading back to Italy soon and in the afternoon he played with some tekko that came to him as a mysterious birthday gift from an unknown contributor. Some of his female friends and Yamamoto were packing his things for him. But then Gokudera ran to Lambo with his hair wild and beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Boss wants to see you now. It sounded like an emergency." Gokudera breathed out. The curly-haired boy blinked while pondering the possibilities.

* * *

Lambo stood in the corner with his hands in his pocket and open eye looking to the ceiling.

"Why are you here, Hayato?" Tsuna asked with half-lidded eyes.

"If my being here is a problem, I'll leave, but I just wanted to—"

"No, it's fine. I understand." The mafia boss then directed his gaze to the curly-haired kid standing in front of his desk. "Lambo, I wanted to ask you to −don't yawn when someone's talking to you− do this because you are –don't roll your eyes either, it's rude− opportunely going into the area where you'll complete this task."

"Huh? A mission in France?"

"Yes. And it's very important." Tsuna declared firmly. "Do it right. Do it in a timely manner. And be careful."

"Tenth," Gokudera chimed in. "I'm sorry, but Lambo has never worked out of the country and to give him something so significant to do and requesting that he does it perfectly seems a bit unreasonable."

"Hayato, I will ask you to leave if you voice your disagreement again." Tsuna said making Gokudera wince. "Are you okay with what I'm saying so far, Lambo?"

This is it. Lambo thought. I'm being treated as an adult! I'm actually being asked to do something. Shit. This pressure. This responsibility. I never knew it felt so heavy. Fuck. I don't know if I want to go through with this. I'm should Hato-nii's side, but I can't say no to Boss...

"Vongola, I agree with Hato-nii." Lambo said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this. But despite my fears, I'll do it."

"Lambo," Tsuna began coolly. "You are a Guardian. We all have our duties to carry out. You are a very strong member of this family and have not been given the chance to show us your abilities. I admit, it is mostly my fault." Tsuna couldn't look at Lambo as he said this. He felt guilty from holding Lambo back. "Every time an instance came up where I could send you out into a potential battle, I wouldn't, because I was scared. That was wrong of me. At your age, we were doing much worse than what I could be asking of you. We keep coddling you and you're not going to get stronger that way. No high-tech moving target or five-minute fake fight is going to completely prepare you for our type of jobs. Only real experiences will. No matter what, you are going on this mission."

Gokudera's face crumpled into a scowl while Lambo tried to stop himself from trembling.

"What is it?" Gokudera asked. "What does he have to do?"

Tsuna spun his seat around so that he wasn't facing the other two anymore. He couldn't stand seeing their distressed expressions. "Bring Reborn home."

* * *

**I love you for reading, love me too and review ;) Next chapter, Lambo heads for The French Republic! Au revoir!**


	12. This fic is dead but

This fic is dead, but you can still enjoy and review. I might just revive it one day :P


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